DELAY/ABRAMOFF CRIME ASSOCIATE MICHAEL SCANLON TURNING STATE'S EVIDENCE ON OHIO REPUBLICAN CONGRESSCROOK BOB NEY

Today's NY TIMES ran a story by Anne Kornblut about how a major cog in the Tom DeLay Republican Crime Syndicate is turning state's evidence that will, in all likelihood doom the political career of crooked Ohio congressman Bob Ney.

Scanlon, long known in DC as a congenital liar and a worthless flack for DeLay, as well as a partner of Abramoff's, has agreed to plead guilty on one charge of conspiracy and to testify against Ohio extreme right-wing Congressman Bob Ney. Many have been interested in the DeLay/Abramoff/Ney gang's participation in the brutal 2001 gangland-style murder of former business partner Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis. The 3 mafia hitmen (pictured above and now in prison on murder charges) were working for Abramoff "as consultants" after business dealings with the DeLay/Abramoff crime operation and Boulis soured.

DeLay, of course, has already been indicted in Texas on possibly-unrelated charges involving fund-raising practices for Texas Republicans and, like the 3 hitmen pictured above, is awaiting trial. His whole crime operation and his shady relationship with Abramoff have been under investigation by various law enforcement agencies. The court papers filed Friday show how Scanlon and Abramoff, conspired to "corruptly offer and provide things of value, including money, meals, trips and entertainment to federal public officials in return for agreements to perform official acts." And although the wording suggests that more than one lawmaker was under investigation, Ney is known to have been a major recipient of financial rewards from the DeLay/Abramoff gang and to have helped them in their vendetta against Boulis. Ney claims to not know anything about nuthin' and contends that he was tricked by Mr. Scanlon and Mr. Abramoff into assisting their clients.

Although DeLay's handpicked crooked Ethics Committee chairman, a lowlife Republican from Yakima who goes by the name "Doc" Hastings has effectively closed down any attempt to serious examine the myriad of charges against DeLay and Abramoff and Ney and the other members of their operation ("Doc" in all likelihood being one), Federal prosecutors have been looking into the theft of over $80 million by Abramoff and DeLay from American Indian tribes. According the TIMES "Investigators believe the two men funneled millions through charities and front organizations to skim profits, avoid taxes and mask incomplete work." And, of course, they are also investigating the relationship between how DeLay ran the House of Representatives and the lucrative, illegal money machine he and Abramoff created.

The 8-page criminal filing accuses Scanlon of taking part in a "corruption scheme" between January 2000 and April 2004, working alongside Abramoff and bribing Ney, who they enticed into performing "a series of official acts," including "agreements to support and pass legislation, agreements to place statements into the Congressional Record" [a reference to the Boulis murder case] and meetings with their clients. Ney, whose committee oversees these matters, also helped one of Abramoff's clients apply for a license to install wireless telephone infrastructure in the House of Representatives.

Crooked Republican congressmen like DeLay, Ney, Pombo, Taylor, Burns (a Senator from Montana) and as many as a dozen others may be busy with more than just tough re-election campaigns between now and November, 2006.