FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRM

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 (202) 514-2008

WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

Statement of Assistant Attorney

General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal
Division
Regarding Congressman Robert W.
Ney
Good morning. I am joined this morning by Michael Mason, Executive Assistant
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Earl Devaney, Inspector
General of the Department of Interior.

This morning, federal prosecutors filed a two-count information and signed plea
documents in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ohio
Congressman Robert W. Ney has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy
to commit honest services fraud, violating the one-year lobbying ban on
congressional officials and making material false statements, and to one count of
making false statements.

As he admits in the plea documents, Congressman Ney and his co-conspirators

engaged in a long-term pattern of defrauding the public of his unbiased, honest
services as an elected official. Congressman Ney admits that he corruptly solicited
and accepted a stream of benefits, valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, in
exchange for agreeing to perform, and performing, a series of official acts. He also
illegally deceived the public and the House of Representatives about his actions. In
doing so, the Congressman was acting in his own best interests, and not in the best
interests of his constituents.

Specifically, Congressman Ney admits that he corruptly solicited and accepted a

stream of benefits from Jack Abramoff and other lobbyists, including:

international and domestic trips, such as a trip Scotland with others costing
$160,000; a $7000 trip to New Orleans and a $3500 vacation at Lake George,
New York all paid for by lobbyists and their clients; and

Thousands of dollars worth of meals, drinks, tickets to concerts and sporting

 events and free use of box suites to conduct fundraisers.

In exchange, as Congressman Ney admits, he agreed to take and he took a series of

official actions. For example, he

Agreed to insert four separate unrelated amendments to an election reform

legislation at Abramoff’s request;

Agreed to insert statements into the Congressional Record; and

supported Abramoff’s efforts to get a multi million dollar contract for his
client

Then, to conceal this illegal conduct from the public, he failed to accurately report
these benefits and lied on his Annual Financial Disclosure Statements filed with the
House of Representatives.

In addition, as part of the conspiracy to deprive the public of his honest services,
and with the intent to be influenced, Congressman Ney took thousands of dollars in
free gambling chips from a foreign businessman. This foreign businessman was
seeking an exemption to the U.S. export laws prohibiting the sale of his goods to a
foreign country, and a visa to the United States. Congressman Ney traveled to
London, took free gambling money and, then, Congressman Ney agreed to help, and
indeed made efforts to help when he returned home to the United States.

Congressman Ney admits that he intentionally concealed the amount of

gambling proceeds by filing a false U.S. Customs disclosure form and false annual
financial disclosure statements. And Congressman Ney had a staff member carry
approximately $5,000 through Customs so the Congressman could falsely report a
smaller amount to Customs officials.

People must have faith and confidence in their elected representatives. We will
enforce the laws that protect the integrity of our government.

* * *

The parties will present the plea to the Court on October 13, 2006.

I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the attorneys
prosecuting this case, Mary Butler, Kendall Day and Jim Crowell from the Public
Integrity Section of the Criminal Division; Ed Nucci, Acting Chief of Public
Integrity, Paul Pelletier, Acting Chief of the Fraud Section; Lee O’Connor, Assistant
Attorney General of the Tax Division; Alex Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern
District of Florida and prosecutors from his office; The Federal Bureau of
Investigation, including Michael Mason, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI,
Chip Burrus, Assistant Director, and agents Maria Borsuk, Jeff Reising, Lonna
Johnson, Ron Miller; Inspector General of Interior Earl Devaney and agents Pat
Murphy and Michelle Pinkerton; Inspector General of the GSA Brian Miller and the
Criminal Investigative Division of the I.R.S.

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