Bob Ney to Resign Chairmanship
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: Blunt̢۪s 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? (Stotch)
Republicans to Reverse Ethics Rules Changes: Hastert
Bush Not Seeking DeLay̢۪s Ouster
Newt Gingrich Criticizes Tom DeLay on Ethics
Is the Cover-Up Worse than the Crime?
Democrats to Make “Ethics†Key to 2006 Campaign
Conduct Unbecoming a Congressman
DeLay Appears To Be Off The Hook
GOP Pushes Rule Change To Protect DeLay̢۪s 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
