Bob Ney to Resign Chairmanship

ADVERTISERS

POPULAR TAGS

Bob Ney to Resign Chairmanship

James Joyner | Friday, January 13, 2006

AP is reporting that Bob Ney is negotiating over stepping down as House Administration Committee Chair.

Embattled Ohio Republican Bob Ney is in talks with House Speaker Dennis Hastert about resigning his chairmanship of the House Administration Committee, a senior House GOP aide told The Associated Press on Friday.

Ney has been linked to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and has denied wrongdoing in the burgeoning scandal. But he is facing the loss of his chairmanship as House Republicans seek to implement an ambitious lobbying reform agenda, much of which would pass through his committee.

“There have been ongoing discussions between Speaker Hastert and Rep. Ney about his role as chairman of the House Administration Committee,” said Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean.

The development comes after Abramoff’s plea agreement this month in an influence peddling scandal involving members of Congress. Among other accusations, Abramoff said Ney took favors including a 2002 golf trip to Scotland, free dinners and events and campaign donations in exchange for his support of Abramoff’s American Indian tribe clients in Texas and the lobbyist’s purchase of a fleet of Florida casino boats.

Certainly, if anyone was going to lose their seat over this mess, it should be Ney. With Majority Leader DeLay out and the two leading contenders for his position under taint of suspicion from the scandal, things are beginning to look a lot like 1994–although in reverse.

The good news is that Hastert and other Republican leaders seem to at least realize the size of the problem, if rather belatedly. It may well be too late for the GOP to recover in time for November’s elections–although the polls aren’t looking as bad for them as one might expect–but a thorough house cleaning (or, should I say, House cleaning?) is certainly in order.

_________

Previously:

Boehner vs. Blunt: The E-Mail Wars II

An Appeal from Center-Right Bloggers

Shadegg Enters Majority Leader Race

Boehner Pledges End to K-Street Project

Blunt v. Boehner: Bluntâs Lead Grows

Blunt vs. Boehner: The K-Street Connection

Boehner vs. Blunt: The E-Mail Wars

Fixing Congress by Restoring Conservatism

Tom DeLay Resigns Leadership Post

Judge Throws Out Tom Delay Conspiracy Charges

Leadership Thwarted in Attempt to Impose DeLay Successor

Bloggers React to DeLay Indictment

Tom Delay Indicted by Texas Grand Jury

Tom DeLay: Liar or Fool?

Republicans to Reverse Ethics Rules Changes: Hastert

Bush Not Seeking DeLayâs Ouster

Newt Gingrich Criticizes Tom DeLay on Ethics

Is the Cover-Up Worse than the Crime?

Democrats to Make âEthicsâ Key to 2006 Campaign

Conduct Unbecoming a Congressman

DeLay Appears To Be Off The Hook

GOP Pushes Rule Change To Protect DeLayâs Post

Ethics Truce Frays in House

HOT PINK LEISURE SUITS

POLITICIANS BEING POLITICAL?!

Abramoff Scandal Backfiring of Republican Strategy?

Abramoff Scandal Brings New Scrutiny to Lobbying

Abramoff Bought Cato Columnist Doug Bandow

Scandals Heighten Public Concerns about Corruption

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.

Follow James on FriendFeed | Twitter | Digg