U.S. Rep. James Walsh doesn't accept donations from Indian tribes or gambling interests, so neither disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff nor his clients ever sent campaign money Walsh's way.

The Republican congressman from Syracuse, who serves part of Cayuga County, is relieved he is not facing the question some of his colleagues are now confronting - what to do with campaign contributions tied to Abramoff.

But even though he personally is not affected by the Abramoff scandal, Walsh said he still feels an impact.

“It's not certainly a positive thing, but we have to wait and see how it plays out,” he said. “We're all sort of tarred by the same brush, unfortunately.”

High-powered lobbyist Abramoff pleaded guilty to federal charges in two courts this week. He appeared in a Florida earlier on conspiracy and wire fraud charges connected to his purchase of a gambling boat fleet, and in a Washington court on federal charges related to a corruption investigation of members of Congress. Abramoff has agreed to cooperate in the investigation, and some insiders predict as many as 20 members of Congress and their aides could get caught up in the probe.

The other member of Congress representing part of Cayuga County, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-New Hartford, could not be reached for comment this week because he is in Antarctica, but an aide said he also has no Abramoff campaign contributions.

Plenty of other members of the New York delegation have received such funds, though. Several said this week they are passing their donations on to charities so they are not tainted by the scandal.

Walsh said if he had received Abramoff funds, he also would get rid of them, but he refused to condemn colleagues who decided to do otherwise.

“I think that's an individual decision,” he said.

And even though the Abramoff has - and will likely continue - to tarnish the U.S. Congress, Walsh is confident that brighter days are ahead.

“The institution survives, and it survives well,” he said.