Chairman steps aside during probe

I'm really starting to look forward to this probe. I hope they have the hearings aired on CSPAN. That reminds me, I need to buy more popcorn.

Ed Henry of CNN writes::

Rep. Bob Ney gave up his chairmanship of the House Administration Committee on Sunday amid an influence-peddling probe that has roiled the Republican Party, but he predicted the investigation would clear his name.

Ney, a six-term Ohio Republican, was under heavy pressure from House Speaker Dennis Hastert to give up his chairmanship after Ney was implicated in the scandal surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges January 3.

GOP sources said Friday that Hastert, an Illinois Republican, was moving to push the embattled Ney from his post. In a statement Sunday, Ney said the decision "was not an easy one and one I do not make lightly."

Let's see here; GOP hip deep in a corruption scandal? Check. Tom Delay indicted for money laundering? Check. Emperor Bush the most impeachable President in the history of our country? Check. It's going to be a good year.

According to court papers filed in that case, Abramoff and his business partner, Michael Scanlon, supplied a member of Congress -- identified only as "Representative 1" -- with gifts in exchange for getting the lawmaker to help their clients, including agreeing to support specific bills and placing statements in the Congressional Record.

Government sources have told CNN that Representative 1 is Ney, who has acknowledged being subpoenaed in connection with the investigation. He denies wrongdoing and predicted Sunday that he "will be vindicated completely at the end of this difficult process."

Wow, every indicted Republican spouts the same canned rhetoric.

The entire article can be found here:
Ohio congressman Ney identified in Abramoff lobbying scandal

Technorati tags: Abramoff, Ney, Scandal, Lobby, Congress