A federal judge refused to dismiss charges against an associate of jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Kevin Ring was indicted last September on bribery and corruption charges. He is accused of plying lawmakers and their aides with gifts and of conspiring to defraud tribes, most notably Sandia Pueblo of New Mexico.
Ring sought to have the charges dismissed, claiming his actions didn't arise to a crime. But Judge Ellen Huvelle upheld the indictment as sufficient in a 41-page decision that mentioned Sandia Pueblo.
Separately, Ring has raised questions about the government attorneys who are handling his case.
The Public Integrity
Section at the Department of
Justice has come under scrutiny for the botched trial of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
Get the Story:Federal Judge Declines to Dismiss Charges Against Abramoff Associate (The National Law Journal 6/26) Court Decision:
US v. Ring (June 25, 2009) Related Stories:
DOJ attorney removed from Abramoff case (6/19)
Prosecutor pulled from case of Abramoff associate (04/21)
Another lobbyist charged in Abramoff scandal (9/9)