THE lobbying scandal which threatens to loosen the Republicans’ once iron grip on Congress claimed its second major casualty after Bob Ney stepped down as chairman of a powerful House committee.
His move follows intense pressure from Republican party leaders who fear that the Jack Abramoff bribery case may cost them seats in mid-term elections this November.
Earlier this month, Tom Delay quit as majority leader in the House of Representives when one of his former aides was linked to the corruption charges against Mr Abramoff.
Mr Ney’s decision to go became all but inevitable after it emerged that he and a former chief of staff were caught up in the Justice Department’s investigation into Mr Abramoff’s attempts to bribe members of Congress, rob Indian tribal clients and evade taxation.
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Mr Abramoff is said to have diverted lobbying fees to pay for a golf trip for Mr Ney in Scotland. Mr Ney’s position on the Administration Committeee was powerful because it allowed him to hand out favours or win personal allegiances by controlling the distribution of office equipment and access to congressional facilities.
But the committee also has jurisdiction over election fundraising and lobbying rules. These are the subject of post-Abramoff reform proposals being drawn up by Dennis Hastert, the House Speaker, who himself has had to repay $69,000 in campaign contributions received from the Republican lobbyist and his Indian tribal clients.
Mr Abramoff spent millions of dollars buying influence on Capitol Hill and even though around a third was spent on Democrats, it is the Republicans who have most to fear. They have controlled the House of Representatives for a decade and the loss of 15 seats in November would leave George Bush having to share power with the Democrats.
The scale of the corruption unearthed in the Abramoff investigation makes British political sleaze pale into insignificance. In one instance, it was reported that $1.38 million was put into the transportation Bill by Californian Republican Gary Miller to improve streets in front of a 70-acre development which he and his largest campaign contributors co-own.
Mr DeLay was the architect of the “K Street Project” in which lobbyists whose offices inhabit that Washington district were encouraged to employ Republicans for their mutual benefit. The frontrunners to replace him as House majority leader say they are in favour of tightening the rules.
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But Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, is reported to have flown on no fewer than 30 corporate jets provided for him by lobbyists and special interest groups in the past four years.
His chief rival, Ohio’s John Boehner, once distributed pay cheques from tobacco lobbyists on the floor of the House.