More bad news for the indicted Tom "Getting Hammered" DeLay. His former top plead guilty to conspiracy charges. Even worse new than for DeLay is for the Republican Congressman Bob Ney of Ohio who has been fingered in the bribery scheme.
Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty
By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - A former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy and promised to cooperate with a federal investigation of bribery and lobbying fraud that has so far netted three convictions and prompted calls for ethics reform in Congress.
Tony Rudy, DeLay's former deputy chief of staff, admitted to conspiring with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff both while Rudy worked for DeLay and after he left the lawmaker's staff to become a lobbyist himself.
He faces up to five years in prison, but could receive much less based on the extent of his help with the investigation, U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle told Rudy at a court hearing in Washington.
As a top aide to DeLay in his role as House majority leader, Rudy took payments from Abramoff in 2000, then helped stop an Internet gambling bill opposed by Abramoff's clients, according to court papers.
Later, while working as a lobbyist, Rudy also was extensively involved in arranging a golf trip to Scotland for Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record), described as Representative 1, and congressional staffers, the court papers said.
(Full Story)
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