Republican Congressman Bob Ney of Ohio's 18th district may be among the most vulnerable GOP incumbents in this fall's mid-term elections. Already facing a stiff challenge from Democrat Zack Space, Ney's deep involvement with imprisoned Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff has put his reelection to a 7th term very much at risk.
And the bad news only got worse for Ney this week. Matthew Parker, the director of Ney's congressional district office, was subpoenaed as part of the Justice Department's probe into influence peddling in Congress. Back in Washington, three Ney aides announced their resignations.
These blows are just the latest for Ney, identified as "Representative #1" in court papers and under investigation for taking campaign donations, gifts and trip from Abramoff and his clients. In January, Ney resigned his chairmanship of the House Appropriations Committee. In early May 2006, Abramoff partner and former Ney staffer Neal Volz pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for lavishing gifts and junkets on Ney, whom he referred to a "champion." Just weeks later, photos emerged of Ney with Abramoff, Ralph Reed and others heading off on the infamous golfing journey in Scotland. Then in June, yet more pictures came to light showing Ney with leaders of the Tigua tribe during an August 2002 meeting of Abramoff clients the Congressman claimed he didn't remember.
Despite Ney's mounting legal and ethical troubles, Ohio Republicans are standing behind him - for now. As Republican state representative Clyde Evans summed it up, "Unless he's indicted, I think he'll do very well." That's quite a vote of confidence.
For more on the ethical quagmires engulfing Ney and a laundry list of other GOP figures across the nation, see "The Republican Rap Sheet."