In this photo released by Carlos Hisa, Ohio Rep. Bob Ney, center, poses with Tigua Tribe Lt. Gov. Carlos Hisa, right, and Raul Gutierrez, left, then a member of the tribe's governing council, in a hearing room after a meeting with Ney in Washington D.C, on Capitol Hill in August 2002. On Nov. 12, 2004, while being interviewed by Senate investigators, Ney said he could not recall meeting with the Tigua. (AP Photo/ The Plain Dealer, Carlos Hisa)It appears we've got another exciting episode of The Jack Abramoff Show! This is from Yahoo News:
WASHINGTON - An aide to embattled Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) has been subpoenaed in the Justice Department's investigation of influence peddling in Congress, and three other aides are leaving the Ohio Republican's staff, Ney's spokesman said Thursday.
The subpoena for Matthew Parker, director of Ney's congressional district office, was issued by a federal magistrate in Washington.
Ney has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but federal prosecutors have described him in court documents as having received gifts, trips and other things of value from disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates.
Ney spokesman Brian Walsh declined to comment on Parker's subpoena.
Parker is the first member of Ney's staff to be subpoenaed by the Justice Department since Ney himself was subpoenaed in November.
Ney's chief of staff, William Heaton, and Paul Vinovich, the staff lawyer for the House committee Ney used to lead, were subpoenaed by the defense in the related trial of former Bush administration official David Safavian, who was found guilty of lying and obstructing the federal corruption investigation.
Walsh said he will leave next month to take a job with Sen. John Cornyn (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas. He also confirmed that Heaton is leaving in July and that Chris Otillio, Ney's former legislative director, left earlier this month.
There is really not much more to say here, except that the Abramoff scandal is continuing to ensnare Bob Ney. With Parker now being subpoenaed, you have to wonder what the feds are interested in learning what Parker knows about Ney and his relationship with Abramoff. I'm sure there will be plenty of questions about Ney's voting record regarding the Indian casinos, and all the expensive trips and gifts Ney received from Abramoff.
Finally, there is the cutline off the photo here. Bob Ney does not remember meeting with the Tigua Tribe? Excuse me Congressman Ney--what is that lovely pic there of you standing next to the Tigua Tribe Lt. Gov. Carlos Hisa, and Raul Gutierrez? Or was that a card board cut-out character of you for your constituents to stand next to? And when you're meeting with these individuals, do you not have someone transcribe the minutes of your meetings--so that you would know and understand what their interests are and how you should stand on these issues?
Or did you conveniently forget this meeting?
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