C-span - Bob Ney's chief of Staff pleads guilty.

The beginning of the end of GOP rule in Ohio?

Pittsburgh and was surprised to see a number of Ney for Congress signs.

Granted the population is fairly sparse in rural/Eastern Ohio, but I thought that was a bad sign - after all, the bad news about Ney comes from a "librul" media.

Please the truth has to come out.

Ney is partially in clear; time runs out on charges
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Sabrina Eaton
Plain Dealer Bureau

Washington- Licking County Republican Rep. Bob Ney got some good news, or rather lack of news, this week in the Justice Department's ongoing investigation of his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Although the department is still probing Ney's role in a far-ranging influence-peddling scandal that has resulted in several guilty pleas, the statute of limitations expired Thursday on the federal government's ability to pursue a limited range of charges against Ney that stemmed from Abramoff's purchase of a line of Florida casino boats.

...In October 2005, Ney gave the Justice Department a six-month statute of limitations extension to let the government probe his involvement in the deal.

Ney spokesman Brian Walsh released a statement Friday noting the statute of limitations had expired on the SunCruz case, and reiterating that Ney "has never done anything illegal, improper or unethical" and is "eager to refute the baseless and unfair allegations reported in the media." ...

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1146299773124790.xml&coll=2

Results from May 2 Republican Primary:

District 18

Ney, Bob 34,151 68.38%
Harris, James Brodbelt 15,789 31.62%

:thumbsdown:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/08/AR2006050800521.html

WASHINGTON -- A former congressional chief of staff to Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, pleaded guilty Monday in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, admitting he participated in a conspiracy to corrupt Ney and other members of Congress and their aides with trips, free tickets and meals.

Neal Volz, 35, admitted that he engaged in the conspiracy for more than four years, both while he was Ney's chief of staff and after he left to go to work for Abramoff.



Neil Volz enters Federal Court in Washington Monday, May 8, 2006. Volz, a former congressional aide and business associate of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has agreed to plead guilty to charges in connection with the investigation of influence-peddling and public corruption. (AP Photo/Mannie Garcia) (Mannie Garcia - AP)


Volz's admissions during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle comes amid a widening influence peddling and public corruption investigation involving lawmakers and their aides.

Ney's office issued a defiant statement saying "the congressman is more confident than ever that he will be vindicated" in the investigation. "The Department of Justice has now appeared in federal court four times and has been unable to even allege that Congressman Ney was bribed," said Ney spokesman Brian Walsh.

Volz faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.