Now that is worth some discussion. What could Ickes know, or have proof of that would put him in this situation??
This is my speculation. Ickes is son of Harold Ickes Sr., who was part of a Republican movement away from Herbert Hoover towards FDR in the early 1930s. Think about it. This family goes way back in D.C. circles... they probably know where *all* the bodies are buried in Washington. That makes them untouchable, because (unlike poor Vince) they can be counted on to know how to set up a deadman. Ickes is a fixer, and fixers make a point always to have get-out-of-jail-free cards.
Ickes had some very serious legal issues in the late 80s, early 90s. He was unable to join the grifter administration until those problems were resolved. I simply cannot remember the details at the moment. They may have had something to do with union 'irregularities'.