Unraveling ‘Team Abramoff’s’ strategy

[DoYouEverWonder]

From left, lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Rep. Bob Ney, former Bush administration procurement chief David Safavian and Ney aide Neil Volz appear in a photo taken at St. Andrews golf course in Scotland in August 2002. The image was presented by federal prosecutors Tuesday in the trial of Safavian.


May 30, 20006

WASHINGTON - A convicted lobbyist described Tuesday how he obtained insider information and advice from Bush administration procurement chief David Safavian to advance two projects for Republican influence-peddler Jack Abramoff, who then took the official on a lavish golf trip to Scotland.

A partner of Abramoff’s at the time, Neil Volz also outlined in U.S. District Court how the Abramoff team received assistance from several Republican congressmen or their aides including Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Rep. Don Young of Alaska and Rep. Steven LaTourette of Ohio.

The government’s star witness against Safavian, Volz, was a former chief of staff to Ney. Volz has pleaded guilty to conspiracy for some of the behavior he testified about. Facing an 18- to 24-month prison sentence, he hopes cooperation with prosecutors will win him probation only.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13052757/

[Botany]

1. Great picture I just sent it on to Bob Ney.

[e-mail]

I HAVA a great sense of humor.

[Octafish]

2. Ask him for an autograph.

It's worth more.

It'll be worth a lot more, when he's in jail.

The Little Turd
from Crawford

[UpInArms]

9. I took the liberty of taking you up on that suggestion,

here is the text of my message to Mr. Ney:

Dear Mr. Ney,

Would you please print this photograph and autograph it for me?



You may send the autographed photo to the following address:

**********
**********

I do believe that this particular picture says volumes about all the hard work you have done on behalf of the citizens of Ohio and the entire United States!

Thanks so much for caring about all of us.

Sincerely,

[cmd]

3. Ney lied about trip, says Republican's former aide

http://www.cleveland.com/open/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/114906479017700.xml&coll=2&thispage=1
Washington - Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney never met with Scottish members of parliament during a golf trip to Scotland, even though he subsequently signed travel disclosure forms that claimed such a meeting occurred, Ney's former chief of staff told a jury Tuesday.

Neil Volz went to work for lobbyist Jack Abramoff in February 2002 after leaving Ney's office and accompanied them both to Scotland in August 2002. His testimony took place in the trial of another golfer on the trip: former General Services Administration chief of staff David Safavian. Safavian is accused of falsely claiming that Abramoff had no business ties with the GSA when Savafian got permission to visit Scotland with the group.

Volz said much of the trip consisted of golfing, drinking and smoking cigars. The group, which included two Ney aides and former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed, stayed in hotels that cost as much as $500 nightly. Golf and caddy fees at the elite courses they visited came to $400 per person per game. A single round of drinks cost $100. On the private jet that ferried them to Scotland, they dined on sushi from Abramoff's restaurant.

Ney was originally scheduled to eat dinner with Scottish parliamentarians early in the trip, but the appointment fell through. Ney later scrambled to arrange a meeting in a London parliamentary building so he could claim the trip was for official business, Volz testified.

more.......

edited for bad link

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. I guess he was too busy playing golf

[LeftNYC]

5. doesnt matter, Reid went to a boxing match

:sarcasm:

[cmd]

6. called the Ohio congressman a “champion” of lobbyists (related story)

WASHINGTON – A former aide to Rep. Bob Ney on Tuesday called the Ohio congressman a “champion” of lobbyists as testimony in an ongoing federal trial shed further light on a controversial golf trip to Scotland.

Neil Volz, who served as Ney’s chief of staff before going to work for since-convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, mentioned Ney several times during the fourth day in the trial of former administration official David Safavian.

Safavian, former chief of staff to Stephen Perry when he headed the General Services Administration, is fighting charges he lied to investigators about his relationship with Abramoff and participation in an August 2002 golf trip that included Ney and several congressional staff members and lobbyists.

Among other revelations, Volz said he provided the basic language for a required congressional travel disclosure that was submitted by Ney, R-Heath, for the Scotland trip.

http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=54643&r=0

[wordpix2]

7. geez, they could have just gone to a DC-area country club for the same

thing for less. But I guess they love to be bribed by lobbyists like Jackoff.

[tinymontgomery]

8. How come the FBI

hasn't raided Ney's office to look for incriminating evidence?