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. (more…)
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.
In “Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill,” Ney, R-Heath, writes that in the wake of the Jack Abramoff, Boehner offered to help Ney get a cushy private-sector job in exchange for stepping down from the House, according to National Journal, which got an advance copy of the book and an interview with Ney.
In October 2006, Ney pleaded guilty to two felony counts of trading legislative favors for a string of gifts, including a golfing trip to Scotland and more than $50,000 in poker chips, and then lying about his actions. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Here’s a key snippet from the National Journal’s review:
Ney’s most dramatic accusations are against his fellow Ohioan John Boehner, the man he once saw as his biggest rival to someday being speaker. He describes Boehner as “a bit lazy” and “a man who was all about winning and money. He was a chain-smoking, relentless wine drinker who was more interested in the high life–golf, women, cigarettes, fun, and alcohol.” He said Boehner “spent almost all of his time on fundraising, not policy.” He “golfed, drank constantly, and took the easy way legislatively.” Ney recalled Boehner handing out checks on the House floor and said his ties with a tobacco company were so tight that lawmakers could get free cigarettes from Boehner’s office. His golfing, Ney said, was “nonstop” and “paid for by lobbyists.”
Ney wrote: “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. John got away with more than any other Member on the Hill.”
The most inflammatory accusation against Boehner in the book is Ney’s contention that he ended his reelection campaign after winning the primary in 2006 only after Boehner, then the majority leader, summoned the cash-strapped and embattled congressman to his office and told him if he quit the race, Boehner would take care of him. “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,” Boehner said, according to Ney.
… But Ney said Boehner did not keep his word. “I had been lied to and ditched,” Ney said.
Here’s the response Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel gave to the National Journal:
“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.”
We’ll update when the book arrives in this reporter’s mailbox, which, according to the Ney’s spokesman, will be tomorrow. In the meantime, you can read the full National Journal story here.
Did you see this? Alpacas invade West Chester last week
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Lakota East head coach Nikki Drew gives instructions to her team during their girls basketball game against Lakota West Jan. 9, 2013. Photo taken by Tony Tribble.
Nikki Drew steps down from coaching job at Lakota East – The only coach to ever lead a Lakota East girls’ basketball team to a winning season is stepping down, so she can spend more time with her 8-year-old daughter. Drew posted a 55-40 overall record at Lakota East. In other words, Drew led East to more wins in 4 seasons than East had been able to win its previous 12.
Cincinnati Tea Party elects Ann Becker as president – The Board of Directors of the Cincinnati Tea Party announced last Thursday that it has elected Ann Becker, who is currently the president of the West Chester Tea Party, as its new president. Becker, 36, of West Chester, succeeds George Brunemann, who has served as the Cincinnati Tea Party’s since 2011. Becker said that she will also remain president of the West Chester branch.
Suspect has recently spent 12K from stolen credit cards – Police are looking for a man, who is accused of stealing credit cards from two different Greater Cincinnati LA Fitness locations this month and then using them to buy gifts worth thousands of dollars. In both incidents, the victims had used combination padlocks on their gym lockers. Each time, the suspect was able to open the lock, go through the locker and re-lock it before being seen.
Lakota West junior running back Mikel Horton has received four Division I offers to play college football last week. The latest coming from Miami (Ohio) on March 1. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II.
Lakota West RB Mikel Horton has big week – Miami (Ohio) was the fourth Division I football program to offer Lakota West junior running back Mikel Horton last week. Louisville, Cincinnati and Purdue offered on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. In addition, Horton has received interest from Penn State, Michigan State and Arkansas, as well as offers from Indiana, Minnesota, Kent State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Western Michigan and Kentucky.
O’Gara pays $10M for BAE armored vehicle division – The O’Gara Group Inc., a maker of armored vehicles and other security products, completed its purchase of BAE Systems’ Fairfield-based commercial armored vehicles division last Monday, the company announced. Fewer than 20 BAE employees were laid off prior to the $10 million sale, O’Gara Group CEO Bill O’Gara said; the remaining 110 employees will remain.
Liberty Township development takes on new look – A new plan for the Carriage Hill development will provide residents of all ages everything from an ice cream shop to hiking trails. The 400-acre project is located on the east side of Ohio 747, between Millikin and Princeton roads. It is also the site for this year’s Homearama custom home show, put on by the Homebuilder’s Association of Greater Cincinnati.
Lakota East and Lakota West fall in sectional finals – Lakota East came up just short, 57-56, against Withrow, while Walnut Hills defeated Lakota West, 60-46, in the sectional finals Friday night at the University of Cincinnati. Both losses ended the boys’ basketball seasons for each program.
Boehner tells Senate to get off their … – After making a famous comment about the Senate’s inactivity (watch video below) before the sequester took affect last week, House Speaker John Boehner didn’t resort to any foul language last Thursday when talking about his political opponents in the U.S. Senate. The West Chester Republican mostly avoided responding directly to reporters’ questions about the imminent across-the-board spending cuts.
In his remarks on the sequester Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner didn’t resort to any foul language when talking about his political opponents in the U.S. Senate.
The West Chester Republican mostly avoided responding directly to reporters’ questions about the imminent across-the-board spending cuts. Asked, for example, if he would engage in one-on-one negotiations with President Obama to come up with a broad deficit reduction deal to block the cuts, Boehner said he is “happy” to talk with Obama but Congress should follow “regular order.”
He offered a tart retort to another scribe’s question about why Republicans believed new tax increases should be off-the-table, given that the GOP has won more spending cuts than Democrats have won tax increases in the last few rounds of fiscal battles.
“How much more money do we want to steal from the American people to fund more government? I’m for no more,” Boehner quipped.
Asked if he was concerned about the “optics” of House members leaving town today, just as the so-called sequester is set to take effect, Boehner didn’t directly respond.
“I’ll be here tomorrow,” he said, noting that he and other congressional leaders are scheduled to meet at the White House with Obama. But, he added, “we’ve laid our cards on the table. We’ve shown that we can pass bills to replace the sequester. It’s time for the Senate to act.”
If you missed it on Tuesday, below is the video where Boehner said that the Senate needs to “get off their ass.”
“It’s time for the Senate to act,” Boehner said during a media availability after the meeting, according to Politico. “It’s not about the House. We’ve acted. Where’s the president’s plan to avoid the sequester? Have you seen one? I haven’t seen one. All I’ve heard is he wants to raise taxes again. Where’s the president’s plan? Where’s the Senate Democrats’ plan? I want to see it.”
