Scanlon Widens DeLay's Corrupt Circle of Influence

Ohio? Nothing corrupt going on in Ohio... right.

I don't pray but if I did I would pray my ass off that Ney flip in exchange for connections to rigged Ohio elections--including the 2004 presidential return results--but then that would prove God exists and I'd have to become (shiver) religious.

Ex-DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy: "In an eight-page statement of facts, Scanlon agreed that he and an unidentified person referred to as Lobbyist A 'provided a stream of things of value to public officials in exchange for a series of official acts.'

The items to one unidentified congressman or his staff included all-expense-paid trips to the Northern Marianas Islands in 2000, a trip to the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., in 2001 and a golf trip to Scotland in 2002.

Based on information already placed on the public record by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Lobbyist A is Abramoff and the congressman is Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio.

'Any allegation that Rep. Ney did anything illegal or improper is false,' the congressman's office said in a statement. Calls to the office of Abramoff's lawyer were not immediately returned.

On Friday, Scanlon was charged with conspiracy. On Monday, the Justice Department's statement of facts that Scanlon signed went considerably beyond the earlier charging document, revealing that trips, tickets to sporting events and campaign contributions went to other public officials besides Ney in exchange for official acts."

[UPDATE 11-24-05] New:

In his plea agreement, Scanlon admits helping Abramoff and Kidan buy SunCruz by persuading U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, to insert comments into the Congressional Record that were "calculated to pressure the then-owner to sell on terms favorable" to Abramoff and Kidan.

According to court papers filed in Scanlon's plea deal, Ney received trips, tickets and campaign donations allegedly in exchange for official acts. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said he was duped by Scanlon and Abramoff. He has not been charged.