http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/CREW/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3451&t=jith2.dwthttp://www.jackinthehouse.org/For Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and other lawmakers caught up in the Jack Abramoff scandal, the calendar is quickly becoming as big an enemy as federal prosecutors.
Members who face criminal indictment in an election year rarely have been able to resolve their cases before Election Day without pleading guilty. Even with unresolved prosecutions hanging over them, however, some of these lawmakers were still able to win re-election despite their legal woes.
Ney was implicated in Abramoff’s January plea agreement with federal prosecutors, as well as similar plea agreements involving Michael Scanlon and Tony Rudy. In November, the Justice Department subpoenaed any documents belonging to Ney or his aides related to Abramoff, including e-mails. The Ohio Republican has also been forced to shell out more than $230,000 in campaign funds to cover his legal bills.
This week, however, the statute of limitations for criminal charges related to Abramoff’s purchase of SunCruz Casinos expires for Ney and one of his former top aides, Neil Volz (the Ohio Republican signed a waiver with the Justice Department last October extending his personal deadline in the SunCruz case until April 27). Ney’s lawyer Mark Tuohey did not return calls seeking comment on whether Ney would agree to sign another waiver or the status of DOJ’s probe of the Ohio Republican. Ney’s office also declined to comment.
Get this slug out of the people's house, rug and all