Ney pleads out and hangs around

Bob Ney: Not the first sitting Republican Congressman to plead guilty to felonies, but the first to plead to them in conjunction with Jack Abramoff.

Standing before Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, Ney pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements. He acknowledged taking money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of Abramoff and his clients.

Not to rub salt into the wound or anything, but as recently as May 8, Ney was saying, via his spokesman, that he “is more confident than ever that he will be vindicated in this matter. . . . the congressman will not under any circumstances plead guilty to a crime he did not commit…Congressman Ney has said from day one that he has done absolutely nothing illegal, improper or unethical.” TPM Muckraker has a nice timeline of Ney-related denials and outrage if you’d like to wallow in it a bit.

Ney did not immediately resign from Congress, and within minutes, Republican and Democratic leaders vowed to expel him unless he steps down. The White House also called for Ney’s resignation.

Beleaguered GOP leaders, struggling to overcome fallout from a separate scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley and teenage male pages, said they would make Ney’s ouster the “first order of business” in a postelection session.

“I never intended my career in public service to end this way, and I am ashamed it did,” Ney said in a written statement issued moments after his plea.

The 52-year-old lawmaker faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Huvelle said prosecutors had agreed to recommend a term of 27 months, and said federal guidelines suggest a fine of between $5,000 and $60,000.

Ney did not resign his seat. Several officials have said the congressman is financially strapped and needs his $165,200 annual paycheck and benefits as long as he can continue to receive them.

Ney’s lawyer, Mark Touhey, told the judge he would resign before sentencing on Jan. 19. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republican leaders said he would be gone far more quickly than that.

“It is long past time for a new direction that restores integrity and civility to the House,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader.

Yes, he’s hanging on because he still needs the paycheck. Must really suck to have your flow of swag cut off. I’m sure his Republican colleagues will enjoy dragging his carcass around for the next few weeks. For sure, Ney is an issue in the race for his own seat, where he is being tied to another well-known scandal.

[T]here have also been attempts to take advantage of the [Mark] Foley episode to highlight corruption issues more broadly.

For the Ohio seat to be vacated by indicted Rep. Robert W. Ney (R), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is blanketing the district with mail saying GOP candidate Joy Padgett, a state senator, is too “dirty” to clean up Congress. “You can’t clean up Congress if you are covered in mud,” the mailings say, drawing links between Padgett and Ney. The DCCC is also running television ads questioning her personal business dealings. The offensive coincides with Ney’s expected guilty plea on Friday in the money-for-favors scandal involving convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Seems to be working, at least according to recent polling, too. Maybe there is a price to be paid for corruption after all.

UPDATE: Mary Beth reports on a different branch of the Abramoff tree.

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