WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An aide to top White House political adviser Karl Rove resigned in the fallout over a congressional report showing many White House contacts with ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a spokeswoman said on Friday.

Last week's report by the U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee said Rove aide Susan Ralston had passed inside White House information to Abramoff while she was also accepting his tickets to as many as nine sports and entertainment events.

Abramoff and several associates have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud in an influence-peddling scandal and are cooperating with a federal corruption probe that has reached into the U.S. Congress.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Ralston submitted her resignation after recognizing that "a protracted discussion of these matters would be a distraction to the White House."

Ralston chose to step down and "we support her decision and consider the matter closed," Perino said.

Ralston worked for Abramoff before joining Rove as a key aide in the White House in 2001.

Democrats quickly seized on the development, which came in the heat of the campaign for November 7 elections in which they hope to oust Republicans from control of the U.S. Congress.

"It seems the Republican culture of corruption has claimed its next victim," Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Stacie Paxton said in a statement.

Ralston submitted a letter of resignation to Bush on Thursday in which she said after "almost six years (at the White House) the time has come for me to pursue other opportunities."

"We appreciate her years of able service and accept her judgment that it's appropriate for her to step down at this time," Perino said.

The congressional report had identified 66 Abramoff contacts with the White House and more than half of them had been with Ralston.

The report cited instances in which Ralston apparently did not pay for sports or entertainment tickets. Government ethics rules bar the acceptance of gifts worth more than $20 from anyone doing business with the government.

Ralston was the latest victim of the Abramoff scandal. One Republican lawmaker, Ohio Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record), and several former Republican aides have so far pleaded guilty in the corruption probe.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican, resigned from his seat in June after his close ties with Abramoff were made public.

(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria and Andy Sullivan)

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