Speaker calls ex-congressman’s accusations in book baseless, false
Deirdre Shesgreen reports:
After spending 17 months in prison on corruption charges, ex-Rep. Bob Ney is out with a new book that delves into his downfall and casts House Speaker John Boehner, among other Republicans, as complicit in Washington’s pay-to-play culture.
Former Rep. Bob Ney signs copy of his new book March 6 in Washington D.C. Photo by Deirdre Shesgreen.
Ney, a Republican who represented southeastern Ohio, was back in Washington on Wednesday schmoozing and glad-handing with political insiders at one of Capitol Hill’s swanky restaurants.
This time, Ney was here to condemn this city’s pay-to-play culture – not partake in it – as he worked the room of Hill staffers, political reporters and curious onlookers who came to see him at a signing for his new book: “Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men on Capitol Hill.”
The former Ohio Republican and powerful House committee chairman’s book delves into his downfall in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. In 2006, Ney pleaded guilty to two felony counts of trading legislative favors for a string of gifts, including an Abramoff-financed golf trip to Scotland and more than $50,000 in poker chips.
But Ney also uses his book to takes swipes at others – specifically House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester, whom Ney portrays as complicit in Washington’s fundraising-obsessed, lobbyist-greased culture.
He describes Boehner as someone who was “more interested in the high life – golf, women, cigarettes, fun, and alcohol” than in serious policy debates.
“If the Justice Department were ever to make John produce receipts for his addiction to golf just for the years from 1995 to 2004, he would be hard-pressed to comply,” Ney wrote. “John got away with more than any other Member on the Hill.”
Ney, who moved back to Newark after being released from prison, also writes that Boehner offered to help Ney land a cushy private-sector job and to raise money to cover his legal fees, in exchange for dropping his House re-election bid.
“If you resign the next day, I will personally guarantee you a job comparable to what you are making, and raise legal defense money for you that should bury all this Justice Department problem for you,” Ney quotes Boehner as saying.
Boehner said Ney is a disgraced congressman and that his criticisms of Boehner are “baseless and false.”
Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel has dismissed Ney’s account.
“This is a convicted felon with a history of failing to tell the truth, making a lot of baseless accusations to try and sell books,” Steel said in a statement. “More than anything else, it’s sad. Congressman Boehner urged his friend to resign and deal with his personal and legal issues. The allegations that a resignation was traded for specific promises are untrue.”
Ney clearly believes that Boehner paved the way for the Justice Department to come down on him with full force, because without any income, Ney wasn’t well-positioned to defend himself against criminal charges.
He says – without offering direct proof – that it all seemed to be part of a scheme between Boehner, Bush confidant Karl Rove, and Barry Jackson, a long-time Boehner aide who worked for Rove at the time, to railroad him.
In an interview at the book reception – held at the Monocle, a favorite spot for lawyers and lobbyists that is just steps from the Capitol – Ney insisted he has no hard feelings for Boehner .
“I’m not picking a fight,” he said. “There’s much more to this book than John Boehner. … But that’s part of the story. I couldn’t leave that out.”
He conceded that nothing he’s accused Boehner of doing is illegal or a violation of ethics rules.
“I’m just saying … ethically, it smells,” Ney said.
Boehner isn’t the only one to come under attack in Ney’s book. He calls former House Speaker Dennis Hastert a “lap dog” for President George W. Bush. He describes his former chief of staff-turned-lobbyist Dave Distefano as deeply “corrupt” and “geared toward out and out bribery.”
He acknowledged that his description of the House speaker was grabbing the most news media attention. But he said he wrote the book because he wanted to highlight how little the political system has changed.
Lawmakers are “addicted to campaign contributions and they need an intervention,” said Ney, a recovered alcoholic.
As he talked about how he and Boehner, along with others in the Ohio delegation, used to come to the Monocle for drinks or dinner two or three times a month, a waiter interrupted. He recognized Ney and wanted to thank him for making sure the restaurant staff was safe on Sept. 11, after the terrorist attack.
And an old Ohio constituent dropped by, too – Dee Grossman, a tourism official from Tuscarawas County. In town to lobby Congress, Grossman bent Ney’s ear about federal funds she was trying to get for her tourism bureau, an issue he had helped her with when he was in Congress.
“I haven’t seen him in years … well, since he went away,” Grossman said. “He was always good to us.”
The Associated Press contributed
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