Former Force on Capitol Hill Admits Fraud

Abramoff also admitted to providing things of value to a member of Congress identified in court papers as "Representative #1," widely known to be Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), chairman of a key House committee. Abramoff acknowledged providing the congressman and members of his staff with, among other things, "a lavish trip to Scotland to play golf on world-famous courses, tickets to sporting events and other entertainment."

In return, the documents state, Scanlon and Abramoff won the congressman's agreement to support specific legislation and favor an Abramoff client seeking a contract to provide wireless phone services to the House.

Ney, whose actions also had been cited in the Scanlon case, issued a brief statement denying he had done anything wrong.

"Congressman Ney has never done anything illegal or improper, and the allegations in this plea agreement do not change this fact," said Ney spokesman Brian Walsh. He quoted Ney as stating that he "had no way of knowing the self-serving and fraudulent nature" of Abramoff's activities.

Fisher, citing the items Abramoff said he provided to Ney and his staff in return for specific actions, said, "That's not lobbying, that's a crime."

In addition to Ney, the documents describe for the first time specific actions taken by two unnamed former congressional aides who worked in collaboration with Abramoff and Scanlon.

One of the former aides, described only as "Staffer A," solicited a Michigan Indian tribe to make a $25,000 payment to the Abramoff-controlled Capital Athletic Foundation, the documents say.

Abramoff then "used this money for his personal and professional benefit to partially pay for a golfing trip to Scotland for himself, public officials, members of his staff and others."

That same staffer, according to court documents, solicited $25,000 from a distilled-beverage company that had hired Abramoff's firm. That payment was funneled to the same nonprofit to fund the same overseas trip. In addition, the wife of that staffer, the filings state, was paid $50,000 through a nonprofit that had received donations from Abramoff clients "that would and did benefit from Staffer A's official actions."

Another staffer, described as a former chief of staff to Ney and a former staff director to the House Administration Committee, was cited for violating a restriction barring former aides from lobbying their bosses for a year after leaving the public payroll.