"Bob Ney, Guilty But Still at Capitol" - NYT on yet another Ohio sleaze

[greeneyedboy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/19/washington/19ney.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/19/washington/19ney.html">Bob Ney, Guilty But Still at Capitol
By PHILIP SHENON
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 — Representative Bob Ney is headed to prison early next year after pleading guilty to charges of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in illegal gifts from lobbyists. Until then, Mr. Ney, a six-term Republican from Ohio, has a comfortable place to bide his time.

His Congressional office — the one that he has effectively acknowledged selling to the highest bidder — is open for business.

“The office of Congressman Bob Ney,” his telephone receptionist said in a cheery voice Tuesday morning, as if nothing had happened to her boss, the first member of Congress to confess to crimes involving the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Mr. Ney’s brass nameplate still hangs on the wall next to the heavy wooden doors of Room 2438 in the Rayburn House office building, just across the street from the Capitol, and it is likely to remain there for at least a few more weeks.

On Wednesday, much of his staff in Washington apparently worked a half-day, typical for Congressional offices during the pre-election recess. Mr. Ney’s lawyers said the locked doors this afternoon did not mean the office was closed permanently.

The day before, the lawmaker’s aides could be seen wandering in and out of his offices with regularity, all barred from commenting on Mr. Ney’s whereabouts or how he is spending his time. “We’re not allowed to talk with you,” said a young female staff member, clutching a stack of what appeared to be constituent mail.

In his guilty plea last week, Mr. Ney admitted to taking many gifts from Mr. Abramoff, including a 2002 golfing trip to Scotland by private jet, and then lying about them in his financial disclosure forms.

To the dismay of House colleagues eager to remove him as a symbol of the corruption scandals that are tarring several Republican candidates in next month’s Congressional elections, Mr. Ney, defying House leaders, has refused to step down for now, insisting that he owes his staff and his constituents a few more weeks of his time. . . .

for the rest, see http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/19/washington/19ney.html

[MADem]

1. Eighteen hundred dollars a day, is what CNN just said he makes

And that's why he's in no hurry to leave, he'll wait to be tossed out.

What a load.

[Botany]

2. Bob is just getting his prison hair ready

[greeneyedboy]

3. puts the lie to all the Foley "at least our people resign!" spin & B.S.