Newsweek reports that Bob Ney will likely face even more controversy, this time in relation to his ties to 'Casino Jack' Abramoff. More inside.
Since last week's arrest of Bush administration official David Safavian, much has been discussed about a 2002 golf trip to Scotland's lush St. Andrew's paid for by scandal-plagued and now-indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The $100,000 trip was the prime factor in Safavian's arrest. Safavian and Abramoff were in contact at the time discussing property which Abramoff sought to lease from the GSA. The problem for Safavian was that he never mentioned these negotiations when declaring the trip with his agency's ethics officer. Later, he lied and denied any business between them at the time.
Enter, Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio. Ney has also spun fictitious tales when declaring the reasons for his trip to Scotland.
Newsweek reports:
According to a cache of Abramoff's e-mails released last year, the lobbyist planned the trip as a favor for Ohio Rep. Robert Ney, chairman of the House Administration Committee. In a June 2002 e-mail to one of his Indian-casino clients, Abramoff noted that
"our friend [Ney]" had "asked if we could help (as in cover) a Scotland golf trip for him and some staff." At the time, Ney had agreed to back legislation that would help Abramoff's client, the Tigua tribe of Texas, to reopen a casino. It is against House ethics rules for members to take trips paid for by lobbyists.
On a House disclosure form, Ney reported that the Scotland trip was sponsored by a conservative think tank, and that its "official" purpose included giving a "speech to Scottish Parliamentarians" and visiting the British Parliament during a London stopover.
But the Feds' complaint against Safavian says it was Abramoff, not the think tank, that arranged the outing, which is referred to only as a "golf trip." And other records reviewed by NEWSWEEK raise further questions about Ney's account. An "external liaison" registry of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh shows that other members of the U.S. Congress visited that month. But there is no record of Ney's doing so. In fact, the Parliament was in recess when Ney was in Scotland, so "there is no way" he could have addressed the body, said Sally Coyne, a Parliament spokeswoman. A press officer for the House of Commons in London said the British Parliament was also in recess.
Also on the 2002 trip to Scotland were Ralph Reed (former head of the Christian Coalition, Century Strategies lobbyist and part of Bush's 2004 re-election campaign), Michael Scanlon (lobbyist, former press secretary for Tom DeLay and Abramoff associate), and Neil Volz (a former Ney staffer and then-associate of Abramoff's).
Abramoff later wrote an associate about Bob Ney and the Scotland trip:
"BN had a great time and is very grateful but is not going to mention the trip to Scotland for obvious reasons. He said he'll show his thanks in other ways, which is what we want."
During past questioning, Ney has turned against Abramoff, stating that he 'was duped' and tricked by Casino Jack's deceptive ways. (When asked during Senate hearings, Ney referred to Abramoff and Scanlon as 'nefarious individuals.' Now that Abramoff is indicted and may be looking for ways to reduce his sentence, Ney's betrayal may come full circle.
Ney, Rove, DeLay...there's no telling where the Justice Department Abramoff investigation will turn next. But rest assured, more dirt will be unearthed and more GOP corruption and deceit will come to light.