REPRESENTATIVE #1 • Scanlon Plea | Attachment • US v. Scanlon

Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), one of the lawmakers under investigation in the Jack Abramoff scandal, has returned $32,000 he received from the Tigua Tribe of Texas, The Athens News reports.

Ney took the money as he was pushing for legislation to reopen the tribe's casino. Abramoff and Michael Scanlon were acting as the tribe's lobbyists.

Ney has since said he was "duped" by Abramoff and Scanlon. He has now given the $32,000 he took from the tribe to an unnamed charity. He didn't return the money to the tribe, as other lawmakers who received Abramoff-related donations have done.

Meanwhile, a representative of the tribe accused Ney of taking a bribe on ABC's "Nightline" program. Marc Schwartz, the tribe's longtime political consultant, said Ney knew the tribe was helping fund a golf trip to Scotland, essentially in exchange for supporting the legislation.

"Jack said many, many times that [the golf trip] was something that the Congressman wanted very badly. And that he would certainly know that the tribe was one of the benefactors in providing the trip," Schwartz said on the show.

"He absolutely told the tribe, thank you very much for your efforts" after the trip, Schwartz recalled.

Get the Story:
Ney stumps for Glouster project, talks about his federal investigation woes (The Athens News 12/15)
Ohio congressman accused of taking bribes in Tigua plot (The El Paso Times 12/16)
Did a Powerful Congressman Receive Favors in Alleged 'Corruption Scheme?' (ABC News 12/13)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Bob Ney - http://ney.house.gov

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