First congressman to fall in Abramoff scandal

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spike

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WASHINGTON — Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, is to enter a guilty plea today to two felonies that could send him to prison for up to 10 years.

Ney is the first congressman to fall in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling case, a controversy that has reached the Bush White House and Capitol Hill.

The six-term congressman signed papers a month ago admitting to charges of conspiracy and making false statements. He admitted taking tens of thousands of dollars worth of trips, sports tickets, campaign contributions, meals and casino chips in exchange for legislation and public statements supporting Abramoff's clients and a foreign businessman.

Ney, 52, is being pressed by House GOP colleagues to resign, and with the Justice Department recommending 27 months behind bars, he may announce his decision to step down when he appears before U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle.

Ney's court appearance comes one week after a top aide to White House political adviser Karl Rove resigned amid questions over her links to Abramoff. Susan Ralston left after a House committee reported that she apparently accepted tickets to sporting events from Abramoff without reimbursing him.

The House committee report, which summarized an investigation of links between Abramoff and the White House, cited 485 contacts between the lobbyist and his associates with the Bush White House. The tally was based on records House investigators obtained from 13 of 24 Abramoff clients.
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2003302377_ney13.html


Non-Profits in trouble too

Five conservative nonprofit organizations, including one run by prominent Republican Grover Norquist, "appear to have perpetrated a fraud" on taxpayers by selling their clout to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Senate investigators said in a report issued yesterday.

The report includes previously unreleased e-mails between the now-disgraced lobbyist and officers of the nonprofit groups, showing that Abramoff funneled money from his clients to the groups. In exchange, the groups, among other things, produced ostensibly independent newspaper op-ed columns or news releases that favored the clients' positions.


Special Report

Abramoff, the once-powerful lobbyist at the center of a wide-ranging public corruption investigation, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison on March 29, after pleading guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials in a deal that required him to provide evidence about members of Congress.

Officers of the groups "were generally available to carry out Mr. Abramoff's requests for help with his clients in exchange for cash payments," said the report, issued by the Senate Finance Committee. The report was written by the Democratic staff after a yearlong investigation and authorized by the Republican chairman, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa).

Abramoff has pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy and could go to prison as early as next month. Prosecution and defense lawyers jointly filed papers yesterday asking a judge to recommend that he be sent to a federal facility in Cumberland, Md., to make it easier for him to cooperate with the ongoing probe. The investigation has resulted in one conviction and seven guilty pleas -- including one from a lawmaker, Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), who is to appear today before a federal judge in the District.

The Senate report released yesterday states that the nonprofit groups probably violated their tax-exempt status "by laundering payments and then disbursing funds at Mr. Abramoff's direction; taking payments in exchange for writing newspaper columns or press releases that put Mr. Abramoff's clients in a favorable light; introducing Mr. Abramoff's clients to government officials in exchange for payment; and agreeing to act as a front organization for congressional trips paid for by Mr. Abramoff's clients."
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101200889.html
 
The six-term congressman signed papers a month ago admitting to charges of conspiracy and making false statements.
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Foley quit.

DeLay stepped down from his leadership position.

A lesson for Demoncrats. When you get caught (or in Toms place, get set up) step aside for the good of the people & the party.
 
I misread the word scandal in the thread title as sbcanada. I was about to ream someone out for dragging one of his threads back into the light.
 
Gato_Solo said:
Interesting you mention the Alaskan senator responsible for that 'Bridge to nowhere", when there are multitudes of money being wasted. Take a good look before you throw stones in the glass house...;)
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Well, Ted is #1. I was actually refering to his mental state and level of competence.

Oh, Indiana is ranked #48 on that list. I'm not sure what the glass house comment has to do with anything - America is not a democracy so I don't get to vote for/against bills that come before the House and/or Senate.
 
rrfield said:
Well, Ted is #1. I was actually refering to his mental state and level of competence.

Oh, Indiana is ranked #48 on that list. I'm not sure what the glass house comment has to do with anything - America is not a democracy so I don't get to vote for/against bills that come before the House and/or Senate.
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Actually, Senator Byrd from WV is the number one pork politician in the US. Has been for some time. Do you know something about Ted that the rest of us don't (mental state and competence)?
 
Nothing secret...his speaches are more like the ramblings of a lunatic. Two famous examples...he threatened to resign from the Senate if his "bridge to nowhere" money went to Katrina/Rita relief and he sounded insane while doing so. He also went on a rant about how the Internet isn't a dump truck, but rather a "series of tubes". Pretty funny stuff, for a second.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Ted_Stevens
 
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