Another Abramoff Insider Bites The Dust
The aide, Susan B. Ralston, resigned "to avoid causing political damage to President Bush a month before the midterm elections." Ralston worked as Abramoff's executive assistant before moving to the White House, where she has been Rove's "right hand" for six years. The White House has no plans to follow up on the Congressional investigation that led to her resignation.
Her resignation letter was dated Thursday but the White House released it at the end of the day Friday, right before a three-day weekend. (Monday is a federal holiday, Columbus Day.) A late Friday release of bad news is straight from the PR 101 playbook, an attempt to deflect media -- and citizen -- attention. While this tactic might have worked in pre-Internet or pre-CNN days, it's not so effective when folks are reporting 24x7. However, Saturday news consumption is the week's lowest.
Second White House Official Linked With Abramoff
Ralston is the second White House official to be linked to the Abramoff scandal. The first, David H. Safavian, the procurement chief for the Office of Management and Budget, was convicted in June.
According to the bipartisan House Government Reform Committee, Abramoff made 485 lobbying contacts with White House officials over a three-year period. More than half of Abramoff's 66 contacts with the White House itself were with Ralston. "In addition, Abramoff's lobbying colleagues contacted Ralston 69 times."
White House employees are prohibited from accepting gifts valued at more than $20. But the Washington Post summarizes an e-mail exchange: "When Ms. Ralston was looking for four floor seats for a Wizards game -- valued at $1,300 -- Mr. Abramoff emailed back, 'For you? Anything!'"
Other Abramoff Victims, More Pending Headlines
In September, Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges relating to his dealings with Abramoff. (The actual trial date is 13 October.) Ney had stepped down from committee chairmanships in January. He is not running for re-election but has not stepped down from the House, nor did the House expel him before the election recess.
Note that Ney has not resigned, although he's pleading guilty to a felony related to indiscretion with money. Foley, on the other hand, stepped down -- and hasn't been charged with anything -- and his indiscretion is sex. Don't get me wrong - I think Foley's actions were inapprorpriate, but Ney's are admitted criminal. Why should he still hold this job?
The Wheeling (WV) Intelligencier notes that Ney voted for "a bill that would have prohibited members of Congress from collecting their large pensions if they had been convicted of crimes involving misuse of their positions." And yet because the House and Senate haven't worked out their differences in conference, Ney may "be eligible for a pension of as much as $132,000 a year once he retires." The paper called on Congress to work this out before leaving town for electioneering -- to no avail.
Like former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), Ney checked himself into rehab. Ney did it before "agreeing to plead guilty to illegally accepting tens of thousands of dollars in trips, meals, drinks and tickets." Foley did it after resigning.
American Thinker recaps 2006, when the "rehab-for-forgiveness card" became de rigueur, the "21st century fast-food alternative to the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, or the Catholic Confessional."
And Capitol Hill Blue lists 2006 celebrities/politicos who've played the rehab card: Rush Limbaugh (April), Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI, May), and Mel Gibson (August).
Ongoing Investigation
The Abramoff scandal is an ongoing investigation. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the FBI continues to investigate ties between Abramoff and former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX). Alexander Strategy Group paid DeLay's wife $115,000 over a three year period. That firm was headed by two former DeLay aides, Tony Rudy and Edwin Buckham. Rudy pleaded guilty to bribery charges earlier this year.
Also, see Republicans Call for Bush to Release Abramoff Connections, Cato Columnist Linked to Abramoff Resigns, Abramoff Net Snares Media, Highlights Op-Ed "Ethical Brothel", Abramoff Pleads Guilty, Culture of Corruption Explodes: New Abramoff Tell-All, Congress Is Consistent At Corruption
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2.36 am Eastern - added comparison between Foley and Ney