Judge declares mistrial in Abramoff-related case
WASHINGTON — A judge declared a mistrial Thursday in the case of a former lobbyist caught up in the Jack Abramoff affair, the biggest setback in the government’s long-running prosecution of the influence-peddling scandal.
The jury deadlocked over seven counts alleging that Kevin Ring lavished thousands of dollars worth of tickets and meals on employees of then-Republican Reps. John Doolittle of California and Ernest Istook of Oklahoma and on Justice Department officials in return for congressional appropriations and other assistance for Abramoff’s clients.
The panel of seven women and five men also was unable to reach a verdict on an eighth count, on Ring’s part in arranging a job that paid $96,000 to Doolittle’s wife. On Tuesday, jurors said they had reached a verdict on that count, although they did not disclose what it was. In two more days of deliberating about the case, the jurors’ agreement on that count came undone.
Ring, who declined to comment as he left the courtroom after the mistrial was declared, is a former aide to Doolittle. The ex-congressman, who has not been charged, was named by the government as an unindicted coconspirator in the case.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle raised the prospect of a retrial. Ring’s lawyers objected, saying that cases pending before the Supreme Court could result in decisions that undercut the law federal prosecutors used in charging Ring. The prosecution said the government does intend to seek a date for a retrial but that it wants to meet with the judge and defense counsel about next steps. The judge set a status conference for Monday.
The protracted criminal investigation has sent Abramoff and former Republican Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio to prison and led to guilty pleas by 15 other people.
Ring’s lawyers called no witnesses to the stand, instead making their case by eliciting testimony on cross-examination that was favorable to Ring from prosecution witnesses who were longtime associates of the lobbyist.
“It sounds sinister to talk about meals and tickets, near in time to when folks are being asked to take official actions,” one of Ring’s lawyers told the jury in closing arguments. “It is the way lobbying works, it is the way politics works. … This is not a sign of a bribe. This is not the sign of a corrupt relationship.”
During deliberations, the jurors asked the judge whether there was a legal limit on the dollar value of meals and tickets lobbyists could provide public officials. There wasn’t, Huvelle said.
In a brief interview, Istook said Thursday only one person in the congressman’s former office was accused of improper behavior. John Albaugh, a one-time top aide to Istook, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the House in the Abramoff scandal. He is cooperating with prosecutors.
The Justice Department also has two obstruction of justice charges pending against Ring alleging that he misled investigators who were looking into the Abramoff scandal. The trial of the two obstruction counts was severed from the others and that trial has yet to be scheduled.
Ring is only the second person implicated in the Abramoff scandal to fight the criminal charges at trial rather than pleading guilty and cutting a deal to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for the possibility of a reduced sentence. The other was David Safavian, the George W. Bush administration’s former chief procurement officer, whose convictions were overturned following a trial in 2006. Safavian was convicted again in a retrial and faces sentencing Friday.
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October 15th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
E-Verify ought to be on the national agenda to countermand any illegal alien infiltration into the working environment. Whatever needs to be done should take priority to eliminate the unauthorized labor in our 15 million jobless nation. More funding, more modifications until the illegal immigrant fraudulent use of documentation become a thing of the past? Using whatever expertise in programming that is available; to make its operation is triumphant? Databases including State-Federal criminal, FBI, Social Security Administration, Homeland Security Agency, and any other purposeful tool.. Ultimately the final version would contribute photo verification, national ID system with biometric data which has been recommended by the Brooking’s Institute and Duke University MIT. Then supposedly small employers who don’t operate computers should have common access in Post Offices or other approachable government building to identify the workers they are hiring.
There should be no tolerance for not installing a nationwide mandatory system of worker identification. My suggestion is that–ALL-I-9’s, ID’s should be copied and duplicates sent to a Homeland Security Clearing House? Creating such an office would be a simple affair, if our state and federal government would be more constructive to the working American male and female. If our government is truthful in securing our borders, and introducing new immigration enforcement tools, then E-Verify will become the final deterrent. Not to be destabilized by Sen. Harry Reid and his administration. I have made a point of speaking to a few business human resources departments, and found most are enthusiastic about the use of Verify. Only 1 of the 6 companies that I investigated determined some false negatives” and “false positives. But they always have a backup system of contacting the Social Security agency nearest to them, until the irregularities are resolved.
All that remains is citizens and legal residents to stop the Obama people from throwing a wrench in the cogs and stopping any technological advancement with E-Verify. E-Verify can be used on a universal level in checking bogus driver’s license applications, auto insurance, home purchase, health care and other personal identifying data. It would certainly alleviate the kidnapping of social service programs by the 20 to 30 illegal immigrants in America. It would displace foreign nationals so down-trodden legal single mums with children, homeless vets, senior citizens and even students could get employment. It all depends on all of us to contact our Representative in Washington at 202-224-3121. Tell them you don’t want half measures but full permanent implementation? NO MORE DRAGGING THEIR FEET? Tell them you will remember them on next Election Day? YOU ALSO WANT AN END TO ANOTHER AMNESTY.
Don’t let them distract you, but repeat your demands without faltering and offering audience to open border jerks. Invest a little time and check what your politicians are doing to our immigration enforcement safeguard at NUMBERSUSA? Read about the consequences of future OVERPOPULATION at WEBCAPS and our collapsing infrastructure, which has been ignored for decades nationwide. Last read factual information at JUDICIAL WATCH that exposes the lawmakers, which are running the country for themselves, friends and business associates. IT’S ALL FREE. Read that some of the White House Czars are not true Democrats, but are shadowed by their past Liberal Marxist backgrounds.