The top aide to convicted former Rep. Bob Ney pleaded guilty Monday to federal conspiracy charges stemming from a congressional bribery scandal that downed his boss.
Smiling nervously at times, William Heaton, 28, acknowledged accepting a golf trip to Scotland, expensive meals, and tickets to sporting events between 2002 and 2004 as payoffs for helping clients of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Heaton worked for Ney, R-Ohio, from September 2001 to July 2006, ultimately serving as his chief of staff. Ney represented Chillicothe during the time period.
"You received things of value in exchange for performing functions for Mr. Abramoff and other lobbyists who worked for him, as well as a foreign businessman. Is that correct?" U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle asked Heaton during the 20-minute hearing.
"Yes, your honor," Heaton replied in a firm voice. He pleaded guilty to one count of federal conspiracy.
He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, but probably would serve between 18 and 24 months as outlined under federal sentencing guidelines. No date was set for sentencing.....
>Ohio's Democratic Attorney General, Marc Dann, has been working hard to clean up the mess left by the Republicans. His staff is involved in reviewing the insurance industry. Columbus Dispatch:
Attorney General Marc Dann is after documents that he thinks will show that the nation’s largest insurance brokerage fixed prices to cheat Ohio employers.
Dann went to court yesterday to demand documents showing how Marsh & McLennan Cos. handled the insurance bids of some of Ohio’s largest employers, including Ohio State University, Wendy’s International, the city of Columbus, American Electric Power and numerous others.
To show why the documents are needed, Dann attached to his filing e-mails from 2003 that show Marsh asking for a "fake ‘B’ quote" and "an unattractive premium ... that won’t sell" to fix prices on insurance bids for at least two Ohio companies.
The e-mails "clearly demonstrate the outrageous illegal conduct of Marsh and its co-conspirators," the motion says.....
>The News-Herald's article shows that former Republican Gov. Taft's programs are miserable failures:
Even in retirement, former Gov. Bob Taft can't catch a break. It's not enough that pay-to-play scandals led to a GOP downfall in November.
Or that the Buckeye State's economy tanked during his tenure.
Add in that Taft's Third Frontier plan to attract bio-technology jobs to Ohio has sputtered.
Now comes data that the much-ballyhooed tax reform of 2005 hasn't reaped the dividends that were promised in its first 18 months.....
The Republicans may be out of the governor's office, but the mess left has created even more work for Strickland's administration.
