Ney Chronology
Events, based on Senate and court documents, that led to Rep. Bob Ney's guilty plea Oct. 13, 2006, in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal:
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March 30 & Oct. 26
Ney places comments in the CongressionalRecord favorable to Abramoff in the lobbyist's bid to buy a fleet of casino boats in Florida.
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March - Ney agrees to back legislation to help Abramoff'sclients in the Northern Marianas Islands get around certain U.S.labor laws.
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Abramoff's partner Adam Kidan and casino boatsofficials host a fundraiser for Ney in Abramoff's skybox atWashington's MCI Center.
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Ney's chief of staff Neil Volz leaves government towork with Abramoff as a lobbyist. Ney begins to receive regularmeals and drinks at Abramoff's downtown Washington restaurant.
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Ney agrees to add language to a bill that would allowa Texas Indian tribe represented by Abramoff to re-open a casino.
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The Indian tribe donates $30,000 to Ney's variouspolitical fundraising committees.
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Ney, Abramoff, Volz, two Ney congressional staffersand others fly to Scotland to play golf and then to London on a trip bankrolled by clients of Abramoff.
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As House Administration Committee chairman, Ney awardsa license to build wireless receivers in the Capitol to an Israeli company Abramoff represented.
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Ney goes to New Orleans on an Abramoff-organized trip.
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Ney agrees to help get an expedited visa for a familymember of one of Abramoff's Russian clients.
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Senate Indian Affairs Committee investigators interview Ney, who claims to have never heard of the Tiguas, the Indian tribe that made donations to Ney and met with him about their closed casino.
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Abramoff pleads guilty to federal corruption charges,first in Washington and then in Florida, detailing a trip to Scotland and other gifts for "Representative No. 1," who is Ney.
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Ney says he will step aside as chairman of the HouseAdministration Committee.
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Volz pleads guilty to conspiring to corrupt Ney, hisstaff and other members of Congress with trips, free tickets, meals, jobs for relatives and fundraising events.
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Ney announces he will abandon his re-election race.
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Ney agrees to plead guilty to federal criminal charges in the congressional corruption probe. After defiantly denying any wrongdoing for months he was "very sorry for the pain" he has caused. Ney's lawyer says the congressman has begun treatment for alcohol dependency.
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Ney formally enters his plea, becoming the first lawmaker to confess to crimes in the scandal that has stained the Republican-controlled Congress and the Bush administration. He pleads guilty to making false statements and conspiracy to commit "honest service wire and mail fraud," make false statements and violate post-employment restrictions for former congressional staff members. He acknowledges taking money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of Abramoff and his clients.
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Ney is sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
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William Heaton, 28, Ney's former chief of staff, pleads guilty to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from the congressional bribery scandal. He admitted to accepting favors from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff or his associates, and in return helping their clients.
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The former Ohio congressman reported to theminimum-security Federal Correctional Institution atMorgantown, W. Va., to begin serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence on corruption charges. He is inmate number 2-28882-016.
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While the former congressman was tradingpolitical access for campaign donations and lavish gifts, his young chief of staff was secretly wearing a wire and shuttling incriminating documents to the FBI, according to court documents. Will Heaton let FBI agents record his telephone calls and tapeda 2½-hour meeting with Ney. He leaked documents and worked late into the night and on weekends to avoid arousing suspicion that he was working with the government.
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Credits:
CBS, The Associated Press
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