Abramoff Scandal Claims Congressman Ney’s Career

Congressman Robert W. Ney threw himself on his sword over the week-end, deciding not to continue his campaign for a seventh term in the House of Representatives. Identified in the media as “Congressman A” in lobbyist and felon Jack Abramoff’s plea deal, Mr. Ney handily won a primary earlier this year with a 2-1 margin of victory. The seat, though, was being targeted by Democrats as one they could win because of the scandal. Mr. Ney may have left the field of battle too late.

Mr. Ney has denied any wrong-doing, and he has not been indicted by a grand jury. However, he was forced out of the chairmanship of the House Administration Committee in January. Federal authorities in Florida and the District of Columbia have been investigating his role in Mr. Abramoff’s purchase, along with two partners, of a casino-cruise line. Having promoted the deal in the Congressional Record, Mr. Ney may have known certain things about the transaction, such as Abramoff group’s creation of a counterfeit $23 million wire transfer.

Like most of a certain variety of politicians, Mr. Ney fell back on protecting his family as his pretext for not continuing the race. “Ultimately, this decision came down to my family. I must think of them first, and I can no longer put them through this ordeal,” his statement on his campaign website said. He is entitled to the benefit of the doubt, but in the event he is indicted, one may well wonder about the ordeal of a trial and possible prison time.

At this stage, it is unclear just who the Republicans will run in November against Democrat Zack Space (which may just be the coolest name for a congressman ever). According to Mr. Space’s campaign website, a July 10, 2006 poll (which the campaign had commissioned) showed Space ahead of Ney, 46% to 35%, with 19% undecided. The man Congressman Ney defeated in the primary, James Brodbelt Harris, didn’t really campaign and raised less than $5,000 for his effort. Meanwhile, State Senator Joy Padgett announced that she had been asked to run. “According to section 3513.31 of the Ohio Revised Code, Ney's replacement in the November general election can be named by the central committee of the Ohio Republican party, because he withdrew more than 76 days before the general election,” Wikipedia says.

Yet, does Mr. Ney’s withdrawal really change anything in the 18th Congressional District of Ohio? The Space campaign is already running against Ms. Padgett's ethics, “Bob Ney represented the culture of corruption in Washington and Joy Padgett represents the culture of corruption in Columbus,” said Joe Shafer, campaign manager. “Joy Padgett is tied at the hip to the most corrupt politicians in Ohio: Bob Ney, Bob Taft and Jim Petro. For Joy Padgett, being handpicked by Ney and appointed by Taft is quite an indictment.” The accusation may not hold water legally, but politically, the 18th is in play because of it.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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