DOJ subpoenas Ney

By Josephine Hearn

The Justice Department delivered a subpoena to Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) this week, requesting documents to aid in its ongoing investigation of GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Ney disclosed Friday.

Ney has not been informed that he is the subject of any investigation, according to his spokesman, and said he would cooperate with the probe.

"As I have said repeatedly, we will cooperate fully with any inquiry. I voluntarily provided information to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee last year and I have offered to make myself available to meet with the House Ethics Committee," Ney said in a statement.

Abramoff was recently indicted on wire and mail fraud charges in Florida stemming from his acquisition of a casino boat chain. He remains under investigation in Washington by a task force of federal agencies led by the Justice Department. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee and Senate Finance Committee have also been conducting separate inquiries into Abramoff.

Ney said he could not comment on the specifics of the DOJ investigation.

"I believe…that although the government's investigation of Mr. Abramoff has been well-publicized through other sources, it is inappropriate for my office to comment in any detail about an ongoing investigation," he said.

A source close to Ney said the subpoena sought documents rather than testimony.

House rules require that members of Congress or their staffs inform the chamber when they receive a subpoena. This information is reprinted in the Congressional Record.

Ney had several dealings with Abramoff in recent years. In 2000, he inserted statements into the Congressional Record on two occasions that may have helped Abramoff in his dealings with Sun Cruz, the Florida casino boat chain. In one statement, he praised Abramoff's then-partner Adam Kidan, who was indicted with Abramoff in Florida earlier this year.

Ney has said he regrets making the statements.

In August 2002, Ney accompanied Abramoff on a golfing trip to Scotland paid for by Abramoff's Indian tribe clients. David Safavian, a former top administration official, came along as well. Safavian has since been indicted for making false statements to investigators and obstructing a federal investigation into Abramoff's attempt to acquire land in the Washington area for use by a Jewish school he founded.

Ney has also been accused of trying to insert a provision into the 2002 Help America Vote Act that would have helped one of Abramoff's Indian tribe clients, the Tigua tribe of El Paso, reopen its casino. The provision was never included in the bill, but Ney did receive over $30,000 in contributions from the Tiguas.

Ney has said he was "duped" by Abramoff and that he only supported the provision because he was led to believe that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) was backing it.