Rep. Bob Ney Agrees to Plead Guilty
Rep. Bob Ney Agrees to Plead Guilty
By DAVID ESPO
Copyright by The Associated Press
Friday, September 15, 2006; 11:51 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Bob Ney agreed Friday to plead guilty to two criminal charges in the congressional corruption probe spawned by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Papers in the case said the Ohio Republican had accepted trips worth more than $170,000.
Justice Department officials said prosecutors would recommend the 52-year-old congressman serve 27 months in prison. A formal admission of guilt would make Ney the first lawmaker to confess to crimes in a Republican-heavy scandal that erupted at the dawn of the election year.
The Jack Abramoff Story
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.
After months of stoutly denying wrongdoing, Ney signed a formal plea agreement that outlined charges of conspiracy and making false statements by not disclosing gifts he received from Abramoff on financial disclosure forms required by Congress.
His lawyer said Ney had begun treatment for alcohol dependency, and would likely make a formal admission of guilty in a court appearance on Oct. 13.
"People must have faith and confidence in their elected officials," Alice Fisher, head of the Justice Department's criminal division, said as the plea bargain was announced. She said Ney had "acted in his own interests, not in the interests of his constituents."
Ney said in a statement he was "very sorry for the pain" he has caused.
Documents released by the Justice Department indicated Ney had signed the plea agreement on Wednesday, and it was filed with the court on Friday.
As recently as early summer, Ney had insisted he would seek a seventh term in his sprawling congressional district in eastern Ohio. He dropped his plans last month at the prodding of party leaders who feared the loss of his seat in the fall elections.
The first charge accuses Ney of conspiring to commit "honest services" fraud, a combination of mail and wire fraud often used in public corruption cases. The second count charges Ney with not revealing his gifts from Abramoff on financial disclosure forms.
Ney acknowledged accepting all-expense-paid and reduced-price trips to play golf in Scotland in August 2002, to gamble and vacation in New Orleans in May 2003 and to vacation in New York in August 2003. The total cost of all the trips exceeded $170,000, prosecutors said. Ney also admitted accepting meals and sports and concert tickets for himself and his staff.
In exchange for the improper gifts, Ney offered legislation on three occasions in 2002 to benefit Abramoff's lobbying clients and helped another client win a multi-million-dollar government contract for wireless communications, court papers said.
In a statement, Ney apologized for his actions and said he recently realized "a dependence on alcohol has been a problem for me."
"I have made serious mistakes and am sorry for them. I am very sorry for the pain I have caused to my family, my constituents in Ohio and my colleagues," he said.
"I am not making any excuses, and I take full responsibility for my actions. Over the years, I have worked to help others, but now I am the one that needs help," Ney's statement said. "I am seeking professional help for this problem. I am hopeful that with counseling, time and the support of my family and friends, I will be able to deal with my dependency."
The 52-year-old congressman did not participate in any of the 10 roll call votes in the House on Thursday, an indication that he was away from the Capitol.
Republican voters in Ney's district selected a replacement candidate Thursday as word of the legal developments surfaced. State Sen. Joy Padgett, backed by party leaders, won easily and will face Democrat Zack Space in the fall.
Ney consistently denied any wrongdoing, even after his former chief of staff pleaded guilty in May. The aide, Neil Volz, confessed to conspiring to corrupt the congressman and others with trips and other aid. Volz became a business partner of Abramoff after leaving the congressional payroll.
Ney had a unique power perch in the House when the year dawned, as chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over the internal workings of the 435-member House. Speaker Dennis Hastert pressured Ney into surrendering his committee chairmanship earlier this year as concern rippled through the GOP ranks about the Abramoff scandal.
Any guilty plea almost certainly would renew Democratic charges of a Republican "culture of corruption" in the House.
While Ney becomes the first member of Congress to plead guilty in the probe, a second lawmaker, Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., is at the center of a separate investigation involving alleged bribery. He has not been charged and denies all wrongdoing.
In addition to Abramoff and Volz, the scandal has produced guilty pleas by two former congressional aides to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay resigned from Congress earlier in the year. He has not been charged in the federal investigation, but is under indictment on state charges in Texas in a different case. He has denied all wrongdoing.
Prosecutors also won a conviction in the Abramoff case against former White House official David Safavian, formerly the Bush administration's top procurement official.
When Volz pleaded guilty in May, he listed 16 actions he said his old boss had taken on behalf of Abramoff's clients from January 2000 through April 2004. During that period, Abramoff and his lobbying team showered Ney with campaign donations, trips, meals at Abramoff's restaurant and tickets to sporting events and concerts.
In 2000, Ney read remarks into the Congressional Record helpful to Abramoff, who was trying to acquire a Florida casino cruise-ship company.
By DAVID ESPO
Copyright by The Associated Press
Friday, September 15, 2006; 11:51 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Bob Ney agreed Friday to plead guilty to two criminal charges in the congressional corruption probe spawned by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Papers in the case said the Ohio Republican had accepted trips worth more than $170,000.
Justice Department officials said prosecutors would recommend the 52-year-old congressman serve 27 months in prison. A formal admission of guilt would make Ney the first lawmaker to confess to crimes in a Republican-heavy scandal that erupted at the dawn of the election year.
The Jack Abramoff Story
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.
After months of stoutly denying wrongdoing, Ney signed a formal plea agreement that outlined charges of conspiracy and making false statements by not disclosing gifts he received from Abramoff on financial disclosure forms required by Congress.
His lawyer said Ney had begun treatment for alcohol dependency, and would likely make a formal admission of guilty in a court appearance on Oct. 13.
"People must have faith and confidence in their elected officials," Alice Fisher, head of the Justice Department's criminal division, said as the plea bargain was announced. She said Ney had "acted in his own interests, not in the interests of his constituents."
Ney said in a statement he was "very sorry for the pain" he has caused.
Documents released by the Justice Department indicated Ney had signed the plea agreement on Wednesday, and it was filed with the court on Friday.
As recently as early summer, Ney had insisted he would seek a seventh term in his sprawling congressional district in eastern Ohio. He dropped his plans last month at the prodding of party leaders who feared the loss of his seat in the fall elections.
The first charge accuses Ney of conspiring to commit "honest services" fraud, a combination of mail and wire fraud often used in public corruption cases. The second count charges Ney with not revealing his gifts from Abramoff on financial disclosure forms.
Ney acknowledged accepting all-expense-paid and reduced-price trips to play golf in Scotland in August 2002, to gamble and vacation in New Orleans in May 2003 and to vacation in New York in August 2003. The total cost of all the trips exceeded $170,000, prosecutors said. Ney also admitted accepting meals and sports and concert tickets for himself and his staff.
In exchange for the improper gifts, Ney offered legislation on three occasions in 2002 to benefit Abramoff's lobbying clients and helped another client win a multi-million-dollar government contract for wireless communications, court papers said.
In a statement, Ney apologized for his actions and said he recently realized "a dependence on alcohol has been a problem for me."
"I have made serious mistakes and am sorry for them. I am very sorry for the pain I have caused to my family, my constituents in Ohio and my colleagues," he said.
"I am not making any excuses, and I take full responsibility for my actions. Over the years, I have worked to help others, but now I am the one that needs help," Ney's statement said. "I am seeking professional help for this problem. I am hopeful that with counseling, time and the support of my family and friends, I will be able to deal with my dependency."
The 52-year-old congressman did not participate in any of the 10 roll call votes in the House on Thursday, an indication that he was away from the Capitol.
Republican voters in Ney's district selected a replacement candidate Thursday as word of the legal developments surfaced. State Sen. Joy Padgett, backed by party leaders, won easily and will face Democrat Zack Space in the fall.
Ney consistently denied any wrongdoing, even after his former chief of staff pleaded guilty in May. The aide, Neil Volz, confessed to conspiring to corrupt the congressman and others with trips and other aid. Volz became a business partner of Abramoff after leaving the congressional payroll.
Ney had a unique power perch in the House when the year dawned, as chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over the internal workings of the 435-member House. Speaker Dennis Hastert pressured Ney into surrendering his committee chairmanship earlier this year as concern rippled through the GOP ranks about the Abramoff scandal.
Any guilty plea almost certainly would renew Democratic charges of a Republican "culture of corruption" in the House.
While Ney becomes the first member of Congress to plead guilty in the probe, a second lawmaker, Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., is at the center of a separate investigation involving alleged bribery. He has not been charged and denies all wrongdoing.
In addition to Abramoff and Volz, the scandal has produced guilty pleas by two former congressional aides to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay resigned from Congress earlier in the year. He has not been charged in the federal investigation, but is under indictment on state charges in Texas in a different case. He has denied all wrongdoing.
Prosecutors also won a conviction in the Abramoff case against former White House official David Safavian, formerly the Bush administration's top procurement official.
When Volz pleaded guilty in May, he listed 16 actions he said his old boss had taken on behalf of Abramoff's clients from January 2000 through April 2004. During that period, Abramoff and his lobbying team showered Ney with campaign donations, trips, meals at Abramoff's restaurant and tickets to sporting events and concerts.
In 2000, Ney read remarks into the Congressional Record helpful to Abramoff, who was trying to acquire a Florida casino cruise-ship company.
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 9:22 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home