Religions > Atheism > New guilty plea in lobbyist scandal Former aide to Rep. Ney acknowledges corruption via free gifts
| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"stoney" |
| Date: |
09 May 2006 10:11:18 AM |
| Object: |
New guilty plea in lobbyist scandal Former aide to Rep. Ney acknowledges corruption via free gifts |
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12687453/
New guilty plea in lobbyist scandal
Former aide to Rep. Ney acknowledges corruption via free gifts
Updated: 2:32 p.m. ET May 8, 2006
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 his aides
with trips, free tickets and meals.
Neil 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
work for Abramoff.
Volz’s admissions during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Ellen
Segal Huvelle are part of 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.
Golfing, football trips
The trips to Ney and members of his staff included golfing at the Old
Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., Lake
George in New York state, and New Orleans in 2003, according to court
papers.
There were regular meals and drinks at Abramoff’s Washington restaurant,
Signatures, the unreported use of Abramoff’s box suites at the MCI
Center Arena, now named Verizon Center, and Camden Yards baseball
stadium in Baltimore for campaign fund-raisers, the court papers added.
As part of the course of conduct, Abramoff, Volz and others received
Ney’s agreement and that of his staff to perform official acts including
halting legislation adverse to Abramoff’s clients and supporting
legislation that favored them, the papers stated.
Are these accusations “accurate?” the judge asked Volz.
“Yes, your honor,” Volz replied.
“Mr. Volz, how do you wish to plead?” asked the judge.
“Guilty, your honor,” Volz replied.
Volz faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalties
could vary, Huvelle said, depending how helpful Volz is in the
government’s ongoing investigation of influence-peddling involving
lawmakers, their aides and members of the Bush administration.
“The purpose of the conspiracy was for defendant Volz and his
co-conspirators to unjustly enrich themselves by corruptly receiving,
while public officials, and providing, while lobbyists, a stream of
things of value with the intent to influence and reward official acts
and attempting to influence members of Congress in violation of the
law,” according to a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court
in Washington.
Two former aides to Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, the former House majority
leader, already have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy
that was centered on the work of Abramoff, once a powerful Republican
lobbyist.
Abramoff connection
Ney has not been charged, but his lawyer has acknowledged that he is
Representative 1, described in court papers as the recipient of gifts
and travel from Abramoff.
Shortly after leaving Ney’s office, Volz joined Abramoff’s firm and did
lobbying work less than a year after leaving government employment.
Federal law requires congressional staff members to wait a year before
they do private work involving the previous government employer.
Among the projects on which Volz worked was securing a lucrative
contract for Foxcom Wireless, an Israeli communications company, to
improve cell phone reception in House office buildings.
Also during that period, Volz pressed Ney to support projects by the
firm’s Indian tribe clients.
© 2006 The Associated Press
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: New guilty plea in lobbyist scandal Former aide to Rep. Ney acknowledges corruption via free gifts |
10 May 2006 01:08:37 AM |
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In article <m4c1625gr3uqqg537l2sq9otfkd57dpm7l@4ax.com>,
stoney <stoney@the.net> wrote:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12687453/
New guilty plea in lobbyist scandal
Former aide to Rep. Ney acknowledges corruption via free gifts
Updated: 2:32 p.m. ET May 8, 2006
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 his aides
with trips, free tickets and meals.
At the rate this is going, Congress will soon have to hold it's sessions
in the federal pen.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: New guilty plea in lobbyist scandal Former aide to Rep. Ney acknowledges corruption via free gifts |
14 May 2006 03:53:46 PM |
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On Tue, 09 May 2006 23:08:37 -0700, johac <jhachmann@sbcglobal.com>
wrote in alt.atheism
In article <m4c1625gr3uqqg537l2sq9otfkd57dpm7l@4ax.com>,
stoney <stoney@the.net> wrote:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12687453/
New guilty plea in lobbyist scandal
Former aide to Rep. Ney acknowledges corruption via free gifts
Updated: 2:32 p.m. ET May 8, 2006
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 his aides
with trips, free tickets and meals.
At the rate this is going, Congress will soon have to hold it's sessions
in the federal pen.
Works for me.
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a plethora of splinters.
.
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