Free Republic

What could the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) possibly have in common? CAIR founders had close ties to Hamas, Palestinian Sunni Islamic extremists. NIAC and its main spokesman, Trita Parsi, have become apologists for the regime in Tehran, which exports a rival Shiite brand of Islamic extremism. Sunnis and Shias. We all know the story. They hate each other worse than Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants. Right? Well, no. As I pointed out in Countdown to Crisis: the Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran, Sunnis and Shias get along just fine when it...

Rep. Bob Ney pleaded guilty Friday in the Jack Abramoff influence- peddling investigation, the first lawmaker to confess to crimes in a scandal that has stained the Republican-controlled Congress and the Bush administration. 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.

House Republican leaders vowed Friday to expel convicted Rep. Bob Ney "as our first order of business"

(snip) "Congressman Ney admits that he corruptly solicited and accepted a stream of benefits, valued at tens of thousands of dollars, in exchange for agreeing to perform, and performing, a series of official acts," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. "He also admitted deceiving the public and the U.S. House of Representatives about his actions." (snip) Al-Zayat, known in London gambling circles as the "Fat Man," wanted to sell airplanes and airplane parts to Iran and, according to the plea agreement, Ney promised to ask the State Department to lift the ban and grant a visa for al-Zayat. The Dispatch...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 — Representative Bob Ney, Republican of Ohio, has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges related to his dealings with the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff, lawyers and others with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday. A guilty plea would make Mr. Ney, a six-term congressman, the first member of Congress to admit to criminal charges in the Abramoff investigation, which has focused on the actions of several current and former Republican lawmakers who had been close to the former lobbyist. People with detailed knowledge of the investigation said Mr. Ney had entered an in-patient rehabilitation facility...

WASHINGTON Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, is expected to plead guilty as early as Friday to at least one criminal charge in an election-year congressional corruption investigation, Republican officials said Thursday night. Ney, whose ties with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff have long been under scrutiny by prosecutors, has consistently denied all wrongdoing. He announced this summer he would not seek re-election, a step he took reluctantly and at the prodding of party leaders fearful of the loss of his seat. The Republican officials who described the legal developments said they did not know whether Ney intended to resign his seat in...

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio — The leading GOP candidate to replace U.S. Rep. Bob Ney is eligible to run in the primary, a county elections board ruled yesterday, denying a complaint filed by the brother of one of her opponents. The Tuscarawas County Board of Elections voted 2-1 along party lines against the challenge, which asserted that state Sen. Joy Padgett could not run because she already lost an election this year. One board member, Socrates Space, abstained from voting because his son, Dover law director Zack Space, is the Democratic candidate who will face the winner of the primary in...

After suggesting for nearly two weeks that they had legal grounds to push her off the November ballot, Democrats won’t challenge state Sen. Joy Padgett’s bid to replace U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, a party spokesman said yesterday. The decision clears the path for Padgett to run in a special Republican primary election next month to replace Ney, who dropped out of the race last week as his popularity suffered because of his relationship with ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, convicted of influence peddling. Individuals, however, still can file challenges to the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections by 4 p.m. today. If no...

Eight candidates beat the deadline to vie for scandal-scarred Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record)'s congressional seat in a special election next month, including two men who lost races in the spring primary and the Republican state lawmaker Ney wants to take his place. If their petitions are approved, the eight will compete Sept. 14 to replace Ney on the November ballot in a race drawing widespread attention as Democrats try to retake control of the U.S. House. Ney dropped his re-election campaign last week, citing the strain of an intensifying corruption investigation that has focused for months on...

Ohio State Representative Bob Ney formally requested that his name be removed from the November election ballot. A special primary must now be held to find a replacement. Ney first made the announcement a week ago, citing the strain of an intensifying corruption investigation that had focused for months on his dealings with lobbyists. The six-term congressman denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged. Democrats targeted Ney's seat in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Ney's campaign began hemorrhaging money after his former chief of staff pleaded guilty to corrupting the congressman and the justice department subpoenaed...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The favored candidate to take Rep. Bob Ney's spot on the ticket can legally do so under Ohio law, the state attorney general said Thursday. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell had sought the opinion from Attorney General Jim Petro as Republicans considered how to replace Ney, who announced this week he would not seek re-election. State Sen. Joy Padgett is the leading candidate, and would be eligible to enter a special primary or replace Ney on the November ballot, the attorney general said. Ney, a six-term GOP lawmaker, has come under scrutiny for his ties to Jack...

COLUMBUS, OHIO – While election officials are examining whether Rep. Bob Ney’s (R-Ohio) hand-picked successor is eligible to run for his seat in the fall, ...

Since being named by several associates of Jack Abrammoff who were pleading guilty to criminal charges, Bob Ney has come under increasing pressure from the Republican leadership, and has now announced that he is quitting Congress at the coming elections, the first since the charges arose. Since being named by prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in a previous corruption investigation, Jack Murtha has been several times re-elected to Congress as a Democrat, been campaign Chairman for Nancy Pelosi's successful bid to become Minority Leader, become a hero of the mainstream media and leftist blogs, and announced his intention to run...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record), enmeshed in a congressional corruption scandal, abruptly abandoned his race for re-election Monday after months of prodding from Republican leaders worried about losing his seat this fall. Ney said in a statement he is innocent of any wrongdoing, and had acted for the sake of his family. "I must think of them first, and I can no longer put them through this ordeal," he said. The six-term lawmaker has long been involved in the influence-peddling investigation spawned by Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and is the second congressman to announce his...

U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, dogged by an influence peddling probe in Washington, will not seek re-election, state Sen. Joy Padgett said early Monday. Ney called Padgett on Saturday and asked the fellow Republican to run in his place, saying that defending himself has been a strain on his family, she said. "It's a very sad time," Padgett said of Ney's decision, first reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on its Web site. She said Ney told her, "that there's only so much he can take. He said, 'I have to do this.'" Padgett told The Associated Press she would run for...

See for example this thread or this thread first. Congressman William Jefferson had his offices in Washington subject to a raid for they say bribes were paid involving a Ni-ger-i-un.

Federal prosecutors signaled this week that they have decided to pursue a wide range of allegations about dealings between Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, rather than bringing a narrowly focused bribery case against the congressman. ... Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) faces competition from financial analyst James Harris in Tuesday's primary. Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) faces competition from financial analyst James Harris in Tuesday's primary. ... The court filings that accompanied the plea agreements of Abramoff, Scanlon and Rudy accused Ney of accepting "a stream of things of value" in exchange for official actions. ......

The paper trail seems so obvious it makes you wonder whether anyone ever worried about getting caught. When Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and his wife flew from Houston to a golf resort in Scotland in June 2000, the first-class airfare cost $14,001, a big-ticket item for a public servant. But someone else paid. The American Express bills of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges in January, show he footed the bill for the tickets, in an apparent violation of House ethics rules. "The source of the travel expenses may not be ... a registered lobbyist," according to...

U.S. Representative Bob Ney may be giving up his position. A spokesman for Ney says he will temporarily step aside as chairman of a committee that oversees lobbying. The Ohio Republican is at the center of the Justice Department's ongoing corruption probe. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff said in his guilty plea earlier this month that he bribed Ney on behalf of his clients. A spokesman says Ney needs a few days to think about whether to give up his post on the House Adminstration Committee.

Top Republicans in the House are buzzing - and scrambling - at news alleging that Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a former San Diego congressman who's pled guilty to bribery and other illegal activities, was wearing a wire for the FBI during the summer and early fall of 2005. The undercover operation, according to senior Justice and federal law enforcement, is part of a broadening investigation into the Jack Abramoff bribes-for-favors scandal now roiling Washington. The disgraced former lawmaker initially began cooperating with federal investigators after they uncovered evidence of his illegal acceptance of bribes in cash and luxury items from at...

Money, Mobsters, MurderThe sordid tale of a GOP lobbyist's casino deal gone bad. Gambling doesn't destroy people. People destroy people. The gentleman or gentlewoman who decides to gamble makes that decision of his own free will. It's a free market industry, and that appeals to conservatives. --Michael Scanlon AT ABOUT 8 p.m. on the night of September 26, a homicide detective with the Ft. Lauderdale police department entered the home of Anthony Moscatiello in the Howard Beach section of Queens, New York. Once inside, he placed the 67-year-old "caterer," aka "Big Tony," under arrest. Around 11 p.m., a thousand miles...

Lawmakers Under Scrutiny in Probe of Lobbyist Ney and DeLay Among the Members of Congress Said to Be a Focus of Abramoff Investigation By Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi Washington Post Staff Writers Saturday, November 26, 2005; Page A01 The Justice Department's wide-ranging investigation of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has entered a highly active phase as prosecutors are beginning to move on evidence pointing to possible corruption in Congress and executive branch agencies, lawyers involved in the case said. Prosecutors have already told one lawmaker, Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), and his former chief of staff that they are...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 - The Justice Department has signaled for the first time in recent weeks that prominent members of Congress could be swept up in the corruption investigation of Jack Abramoff, the former Republican superlobbyist who diverted some of his tens of millions of dollars in fees to provide lavish travel, meals and campaign contributions to the lawmakers whose help he needed most. The investigation ..., has created alarm on Capitol Hill, ... [snip] ... the extravagant gifts he showered on friends on Capitol Hill, almost all of them Republicans, the investigation could end up costing several lawmakers their...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 - The McCain-Feingold law, which did more to change how American political campaigns are financed than any legislation since the 1970's, got its first real-world test in this year's election. And now its critics are more emphatic than ever in arguing that the law has fallen short of its goals, and even some supporters are calling for revisions. The 2002 law demolished the system that for more than a decade had allowed political parties to feed on unlimited soft-money contributions from companies, labor unions and donors. But what rose in its place remains the subject of fierce...

COLUMBUS, OH – U.S. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) today issued the following statement: "Access to quality health care and the growth of small businesses are two of the most important issues facing Ross County and the state of Ohio today. Yet, time and again, John Kerry and John Edwards have opposed common-sense health care reforms designed to provide greater access for rural communities and instead, supported their trial lawyer friends and the junk lawsuits that are overwhelming America's courts. Time and again, John Kerry and John Edwards have supported, and continue to support, higher taxes and increased regulations on small...

ST. CLAIRSVILLE, OH - With Massachusetts Senator John Kerry expected to visit the Ohio Valley on Monday as part of his "Jobs First" tour, U.S. Rep. Bob Ney (OH-18) today questioned how the Senator's anti-steel, anti-coal, and pro-Kyoto record would be received in the Valley in the following statement: "I understand Senator Kerry is going to come to Ohio and West Virginia on Monday to discuss his plan to grow the economy in the Ohio Valley. However, I think the Senator from Massachusetts is going to have to answer some very serious questions over the fact that his record in...

WASHINGTON - A senator contemplating the first official visit by an American legislator to Tehran since the Islamic revolution in 1979 is being urged by a number of pro-Israel organizations to hold off. He's also being criticized on the issue by his Republican primary challenger. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the parent organization of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, sent a letter yesterday to Senator Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, asking him not to send his staff to Iran this month to arrange a meeting for Mr. Specter and his colleagues, Senator Biden, a Democrat...

Iranian Terrorist a Guest of US Congress SMCCDI (Public Statement) Feb 2, 2004 On January 29, 2004, Washington Post published an article by Ms. Robin Wright under the title of “Iranian Envoy a Guest of Congress.” Naturally, both the message and the messenger of the aforementioned article outraged, baffled, and disappointed us! We believe, the fundamental and essential obligation of any credible and reputable journalist, especially one parading as an authority on Iran, ought to be: To represent the facts, to be honest and truthful, and, above all, to inform without bias and self-promotion! Ms. Wright is considered to be...

The Congressman Who Cried Wolf Every red-blooded American has heard of the little boy who cried wolf. It’s a story of a young shepherd who used the people’s fear of wolves to get attention. He cried wolf when there was none and laughed as the people scurried to stop an imagined threat. Congressman Bob Ney is like this little shepherd. Congressman Ney was quoted in an article entitled “Terrorists plan DC Fund Raiser” in “The Hill” magazine. His accusations implied an Al-Quida like front group was planning the destruction of the American way of life right under our noses. He...

<p>House Republicans took aim yesterday at the fundraising vehicle that Democrats hope will help them equalize the money battle in the upcoming campaign -- organizations dubbed in political circles as "527s" or "501s," for sections of the tax code.</p> <p>Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Administration Committee, was granted the power to subpoena leaders of six organizations seeking to mobilize voters in support of Democratic candidates after they refused to appear before the committee. Ney said they had "thumbed their noses" at the panel but declined to say whether he would exercise his subpoena power.</p>