Lobbyist admits he gave Ney
bribes
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Jack Torry and Jonathan Riskind
January 4, 2006
WASHINGTON — Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty yesterday to
federal charges including efforts to bribe Rep. Bob Ney and his staff members
with a golfing trip to Scotland, tickets to sporting events and campaign
contributions in return for Ney helping Abramoff's clients.
Appearing in a federal court, Abramoff promised to help federal prosecutors
in their wide-ranging corruption investigation on Capitol Hill, which includes
an investigation into Ney, a Licking County Republican from Heath who leads the
House Administration Committee.
"Government officials and government actions are not for sale," U.S.
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher said at a news conference, adding
that the investigation remains active.
She said Abramoff went "far beyond lawful lobbying to the illegal practice
of paying for official acts."
In scathing language, the Justice Department charged that Abramoff devised
an elaborate scheme to "defraud and deprive" Ney's Ohio constituents of
"the right to the honest services" of their congressman.
Those rights include the "conscientious, loyal, faithful, disinterested,
unbiased service, to be performed free of deceit, undue influence, conflict of
interest, self-enrichment, self-dealing, concealment, bribery, fraud and
corruption."
Ney's name is never directly mentioned in documents filed by the
Justice Department. Instead, prosecutors refer to him as Representative No. 1.
But the facts made public by the agency make it clear that the documents refer
to Ney.
Fisher would not say whether Representative 1 was Ney or whether
Representative 1 was a target of the investigation or facing indictment.
But later, when asked whether there was enough evidence to charge
Representative 1, a Justice Department official said, "See you at the next
round." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive
nature of the investigation.
Yesterday's court filings include a new revelation by Abramoff that
during a 2003 taxpayer-funded trip to Russia, Ney met with Abramoff clients and
agreed to help one of their relatives obtain a visa to travel to the United
States.
Abramoff also contradicts a key Ney defense of the Scotland visit. Ney has
maintained that Abramoff told him the $100,000 trip would be financed by a
nonprofit organization, which is legal under House rules. But Abramoff said he
can testify that he told Ney before the trip that one of his clients would pay
some of the bill.
Abramoff's testimony and lobbying records could nudge federal
prosecutors closer to indicting Ney, a six-term member of the House originally
from Belmont County. In addition, Adam Kidan and Michael Scanlon, two former
business partners of Abramoff's, have pleaded guilty to federal charges
and are expected to help prosecutors in the Ney investigation.
Ney spokesman Brian Walsh said in a statement that Ney "has never done
anything illegal or improper, and the allegations" by Abramoff "do not change
this fact. Whenever Congressman Ney took official action, he did so because of
his understanding of the merits and facts of the situation and not because of
any improper influence from Jack Abramoff or anybody else."
Walsh also gave a written statement by Ney saying, "At the time I dealt with
Jack Abramoff, I obviously did not know, and had no way of knowing, the
selfserving and fraudulent nature of Abramoff's activities."
Ohio Democrats yesterday called for Ney to step down from his committee
chairmanship, comparing him to Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who vacated his post as
House majority leader when indicted as part of a Texas campaign-finance case.
Unlike DeLay, however, Ney has not been indicted.
"Congressman DeLay has set the standard for indicted (lawmakers) by stepping
aside; with an ethics cloud of prosecutors circling, Bob Ney should do the
same," Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said in a statement.
The Dispatch has learned that if Ney is indicted, Ohio Republican leaders
will call on him to resign and not seek re-election this year.
Abramoff also could provide evidence against a number of other lawmakers,
including De-Lay, who also had close ties to Abramoff. As a well-connected
Washington lobbyist, he had many contacts with key legislators during the past
decade.
He once owned a posh Washington restaurant that was a regular hangout for
Republican staff members and lawmakers, including Ney.
The Justice Department papers suggest that Abramoff could provide key
evidence against Neil Volz, a former Ney chief of staff. Abramoff helped Volz
— identified by prosecutors only as Staffer B — obtain a lobbying
job and has told prosecutors that Volz served as a regular contact with Ney.
The revelation could increase pressure on Volz to make his own deal with
prosecutors.
Volz referred The Dispatch to his attorney, who did not return a call or an
e-mail request for comment.
Abramoff spoke in a clear voice and did not display emotion during
yesterday's court appearance.
As U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle read the three charges, Abramoff
replied, "I am guilty, your honor."
At the end of the hearing, Abramoff said that "Words will not ever be able
to express my sorrow and my profound regret for all my actions and mistakes. I
hope I can merit forgiveness from the Almighty and those I've wronged or
caused to suffer."
Abramoff faces a prison term of up to 11 years and fines and restitution of
at least $26.7 million. In addition, Abramoff is expected to plead guilty today
to federal charges in Florida related to an effort by Abramoff and Kidan in
2000 to buy a fleet of gambling cruise ships for $147.5 million.
Abramoff, backed by testimony from Scanlon, has told prosecutors that he
"provided a stream of things of value" to Ney and his staff, including regular
meals at Abramoff's restaurant, campaign contributions to Ney and
committees linked to him, tickets to sporting events, and a trip to Scotland in
July 2002 to play golf at St. Andrews, a regular site of the British Open.
In exchange for those benefits, Abramoff has told prosecutors, Ney agreed to
insert two statements in the Congressional Record in 2000 aimed at boosting
Abramoff and Kidan's chances to buy the gambling boats. Abramoff said Ney
agreed to help win passage of a bill that would have allowed a Texas tribe
represented by Abramoff to reopen a gambling casino.
The reaction to Ney's possible involvement with Abramoff drew guarded
reactions in downtown Newark yesterday.
Businessman Brett Lawrence, of Newark, said he has voted for Ney in the past
and has tried to keep track of what is going on in Washington.
"I think it's difficult to know what to think, to know what to
believe," Lawrence said. "Ney, unfortunately, is not the only (politician)
under the microscope. . . . You shrug your shoulders and say I'm not
surprised — not about him in particular, but that this is what politics
have become."
Betty Baumgartner said her general opinion of Ney is that he has a good
reputation. She isn't sure what will happen, adding, "I appreciate that
they are looking into" possible corruption. Dispatch reporter Tom Sheehan
contributed to this story.
jtorry@dispatch.com jriskind@dispatch.com
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