Ney Flew On A Plush, Private Jet

[OzarkDem]

Washington -- The luxurious private jet that ferried Ohio GOP Rep. Bob Ney and several aides on a golf trip to Scotland with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff came equipped with mahogany woodwork, plush seats, computers and a bar stocked with two bottles of red wine and a case and a half of "lite" beer, according to records released at a trial on Friday.

...

Prosecutors said Ney returned to the United States on a $758 commercial flight that was charged to Abramoff's personal American Express card, which violates congressional rules that ban lobbyists from paying legislators' expenses.

...

Two Ney aides who went on the trip, Will Heaton and Paul Vinovich, have been subpoenaed to testify in Safavian's case. Although the pair told Safavian's defense lawyer they will exercise their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, Judge Paul Friedman declared they would have to appear in court to explain their decision. He refused to let prosecutors use Vinovich's credit card bills as evidence unless Vinovich testifies.

Prosecutors say the August 2002 trip cost about $140,000 for nine people, and the charter bill for the private Gulfstream jet alone came to more than $91,000.

http://www.cleveland.com/world/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/114871928812310.xml&coll=2

[aquart]

1. Fun times.

[jrd200x]

2. I'm tired of all this "Plush" "Fat Checks" "Huge Sums" nonsense

Everythime someone critisizes a politician we have to listen to this nonsense. "He paid his wife a fat salary as a consultant." and the amount is $30k. That's not "Fat." "Fat" is a few million. A "plush" jet? What is that? All jets are "plush" compared to a car.

It makes us look ignorant when we pretend these things are much more than they are. We have a local politician who charged "enormous" amounts on a county credit card. Turned out to be $2k.

Yes, yes, these are large sums for many people. But "plush" and "fat?" I don't think so.

Ken Lay got fat checks. That much is true.

[mod mom]

3. we've got to watch Ney's race closely.I heard that he will NOT be indicted

due to his ties. He has been in trouble before and these "ties" have gotten him out of trouble. The person who said this is well connected. It seems ridiculous, looking at the court papers, but this is definitely one race we should watch closely.

[OzarkDem]

4. Something Similar W/ Householder

Larry Householder (former GOP leader in the Ohio House) was up to his neck in a "pay to play" scandal, but the FBI and DOJ failed to investigate and never brought charges. They're sitting on these cases and doing nothing.

They've already let the statute of limitations run out on some of the charges against Ney.

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

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.

[phoebe]

5. A major report regarding staffers taking trips, monies, gifts, etc.

while at the beck and call of lobbyists, will be coming out soon. The lack of legally required documentation itemizing these trips, etc. will be cause for serious alarm - not at the fact that this is going on, but just how prevalent it is.

It is best to remember that..

More than 30,000 people work in paid bureaucratic positions for Congress. About half of them serve as personal staff for members of Congress or as committee staff members. The personal staff includes professionals that manage the member’s time, draft legislation, and deal with media and constituents. Staffers also must maintain local offices in the member’s home district or state. The average Senate office employs about thirty staff members, but senators from the most populous states commonly employ more. House office staffs are usually about half as large as those of the Senate. Overall, the number of staff members has increased dramatically since 1960.


And, as we are well aware, many of them vote in place of congress persons who are otherwise engaged doing something else..