Ace of Spades HQ

« Afghan Poll: 90% Disapprove of OBL, 83% Support American Troops | Main | Could Sanctions Actually Bring Iran To Heel? »

January 11, 2006

Now This Is Kind Of Suspicious

Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), so "lucky" he may wind up in jail:

Some of Ney's actions may be hard to explain. In 2003, Ney went to London to meet the operator of a Cyprus-based airplane firm, FN Aviation, which was seeking Ney's help in getting permission to sell U.S.-made airplane spare parts to Iran. The owner of the company, Nigel Winfield, a thrice-convicted felon who once went to prison for trying to fleece Elvis Presley, wanted a "humanitarian" exception to a ban on the sale of U.S. high tech to Iran (Iran's aging Boeings had begun crashing). Ney, his lawyers acknowledge, did talk to the State Department, though nothing came of it. (Winfield did not respond to calls from NEWSWEEK.) But on another trip to London, Ney called up Winfield's Syrian-born business partner, Fouad Al-Zayat, known in London casinos as The Fat Man, and suggested they go gambling together. Putting down a $100 bet, Ney ended the evening $34,000 richer, according to his financial reports. Ney says nothing improper took place; he just got lucky. It may also be a coincidence that a year earlier Ney acknowledged at least $30,000 in credit-card debts which he paid off after his gambling windfall.

Not only was this sonofabitch paid off, he lobbied the State Department to sell spare airplane parts to friggin' Iran.

He should be stripped of his seniority and all committee memberships immediately.

posted by Ace at 01:27 AM

Comments

Maybe you should put on there somewhere that Bob Ney is a Congressman. Some of us aren't up on who the representatives of Ohio are.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor on January 11, 2006 01:34 AM

I agree, fully! This isn't luck. This is corrupt.

Now, turning $1000 into $100,000 in the incredibly safe and predictable cattle futures market?

That's luck, baby.

Posted by: Hillary's! Cattle Futures on January 11, 2006 01:49 AM

Ace - that would be "suspicious" in the title.

Posted by: geoff on January 11, 2006 01:56 AM

An Ace post either has to have a typo, a missing tag close, or a hat tip to the Moon God.

Posted by: someone on January 11, 2006 02:10 AM

Or a preemptive comeback to Dave about it being old.

Posted by: sandy burger on January 11, 2006 02:16 AM

What bothers me even more than the allegation that Ney can be bought is how cheap the price is.

$34,000 to help your county's enemies. What the fuck? Even NYT reporters make more than that.

No question about it. This guy has got to go. Time for some house cleaning.

Posted by: The Warden on January 11, 2006 02:48 AM

I got two words for ya; term limits. For the House and the Senate. But first hunt down all the crooks and get rid of them.

Posted by: BrewFan on January 11, 2006 06:29 AM

A lot of the "Republicans" here in Ohio sure do suck. (Taft, Ney, etc.) Thankfully so do the Democrats (Jerry Springer, anyone?). But between them we have really no effective government in this State, or representation in DC.

There are a few signs of hope such as our Sec'y of State Ken Blackwell. I even hold out hope for Mike DeWine sometimes. But really, Ohio is pretty much a textbook example of corrupt and ineffective government all around.

Posted by: Mark on January 11, 2006 09:22 AM

How do they know that Ney put down just a $100 bet. Is that information required in the financial report ? I agree that the confirmed info we have now is justification for removing him from his committee leadership but I also understand that most of the press will be by republican adversaries and that it will contain little fabricated/exagerrated tidbits like the $100 bet to make it seem even worse.

Posted by: roc ingersol on January 11, 2006 09:32 AM

Hard to take allegations like this from Eleanor Clift, but if it's true, he should be smacked. It appears as though there's certainly enough to open an investigation.

This however, "But House GOP leaders promptly signed off on new rules, making it harder for lawmakers to initiate investigations. is a blatant distortion and I'm getting sick of hearing it. The old rule was even if there was a tie vote on the ethics committee, an investigation went forward. Rs changed the rule so that you had to have a simple majority to open an investigation. D's actually refused to empanel the committee for Delay last year in order to keep the charges flying without ever giving him a shot at a vote.

I'm not defending any of this shit - investigate away and root it out.

Posted by: Dave in Texas on January 11, 2006 09:42 AM

Ace needs to edit the headline below on best ways to get rich to include "Get elected to Congress".

Posted by: Joe Mama on January 11, 2006 10:40 AM

He needs to be thrown out on his ass so hard he bounces off the pavement.

Posted by: Jenny on January 11, 2006 11:09 AM

What a jackass.

Posted by: Iblis on January 11, 2006 12:58 PM

If only they had met in the Cayman Islands.....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,12858,1146373,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58298-2005Feb2.html

After all, when you are dealing with a country which idolises suicide bombers and who's national catchphrases is "death to America" a legal loophole makes all the difference.

Anyway, back to the Ohio guy. A way bigger fish.

Posted by: Stan. on January 12, 2006 08:15 AM