Ney Steps Down
Yahoo News/AP
By DAVID HAMMER, Associated Press Writer
January 16, 2006
WASHINGTON - The House Republican leadership has achieved its goal of
separating Rep. Bob Ney, the committee chairman implicated in a burgeoning
scandal, from GOP efforts to change how Congress interacts with lobbyists and
their clients.
With Ney's decision — under pressure — to temporarily step down
from chairing the powerful House Administration Committee, the six-term Ohio
Republican won't have any control over his party's efforts to stem the damage
caused by disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
As administration committee chairman, Ney would have overseen those reforms.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., wanted to make sure that didn't happen
and asked Ney last week to step aside as chairman of the panel.
In pleading guilty to three felonies here this month, Abramoff put Ney at
the center of the investigation. Abramoff swore that he and associates plied
Ney with campaign donations, lavish free travel, entertainment and meals in
exchange for official acts. Ney has denied any wrongdoing.
Some of Ney's alleged ties to Abramoff involved his chairmanship of the
committee, such as the lucrative contract he gave to an Abramoff client in 2003
to improve wireless telephone reception in House buildings.
Ney said Sunday the allegations against him had become a distraction from
the Republican reform effort.
"There's a lot of people that are having some heartburn with all the
publicity and if they have heartburn I can be the Rolaids," Ney said in an
interview with The Associated Press Radio Network from his home in Heath,
Ohio.
"I'll just step aside and someone can run the committee and then I feel once
I'm cleared, I'll be able to come back," he said.
Spokesmen for Hastert and House Majority Leader Roy Blunt, R-Mo., did not
return calls Sunday night seeking comment on Ney's decision.
Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Mich., is the next highest-ranking Republican on the
administration committee. The moderate Republican from the Grand Rapids area
may be best known for spearheading legislation to clean up sediment in the
Great Lakes. He's been in the House since 1993.
The administration committee doles out House contracts, and oversees federal
elections, the budgets of other committees and even members parking spaces. Ney
had been known as the "Mayor of Capitol Hill" for the control he had.
Ney tried to get ahead of the allegations last summer by directing the House
clerk to set up an electronic system for House members to disclose privately
paid travel. The system still isn't in place and trips are still filed on
paper, in binders only available in the basement of a House office
building.
"I pushed about nine months ago to have lobby reform, but nobody really
would listen to me," Ney said Sunday. "I wanted to do it then because that way
it's made much more clear so members don't get into positions like I have."
But Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., the ranking Democrat on the House ethics
committee, has told the AP better disclosure won't stop members from breaking
the rules and Ney's plan was an effort to blame the system for unethical
behavior.
Democrats are offering their own plan this week to stamp out improper travel
and unethical relationships with lobbyists.
Ney's decision comes as three House Republicans are waging a spirited
campaign to replace Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas as majority leader. DeLay was
forced by party rules to step aside after he was indicted by a state grand jury
in Texas for alleged violation of campaign finance laws.
DeLay also is a longtime friend of Abramoff and some of DeLay's former aides
have been charged in the Abramoff investigation.
A GOP leadership aide said Friday that House Speaker Dennis Hastert was
pressuring Ney to step aside because he believes it would be inappropriate for
him to head the committee with jurisdiction over the Republican reform
agenda.
A statement by Ney on Sunday said he had notified Hastert earlier in the day
of his decision.
"I want to assure my colleagues and my constituents that I have done
absolutely nothing wrong, and I am convinced that I will be vindicated
completely at the end of this difficult process," Ney said.
Ney will maintain his chairmanship of a housing subcommittee, said his
spokesman, Brian Walsh.
The GOP leadership aide who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because
of the sensitivity of private talks between Ney and Hastert, said the speaker
himself could not fire Ney. If Ney had not agreed to step aside, it would have
been at least three weeks until the GOP caucus could consider removing him.
|