TPMMuckraker Kevin Ring
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff Doesn't Care If Reformers Think He's Sincere
Jack Abramoff is a man who knows his audience.
On his promotional tour touting his new book, he customizes the message depending on the crowd. Speaking at his World Net Daily book party? He'll crack wise about the "bolsheviks" at MSNBC. Speaking on MSNBC? He'll have a go-to quote about what he calls Newt Gingrich's corruption.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists, World Net Daily
Kevin Ring
Did Kevin Ring Get A Raw Deal In The Abramoff Scandal?
Federal prosecutor Nathaniel B. Edmonds stepped before U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle on Wednesday morning and portrayed former lobbyist Kevin Ring as "second in command" to Jack Abramoff and said a 50-month sentence would "reflect the reality of Ring's crimes."
Ultimately, Huvelle sentenced Ring to 20 months in prison for providing, in the words of DOJ, an "illegal stream of things of value, including vacations, employment for a congressman's wife, meals, drinks, and high-priced tickets to exclusive concerts and sporting events."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Michael Scanlon
Jack Abramoff
Abramoff Whistleblower Had More Creative Sentence In Mind For Kevin Ring
The Native American lobbyist who says he brought the Jack Abramoff scandal to light says he disagreed with the judge's sentencing of co-conspirator Kevin Ring to 20 months in prison.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Tom Rodgers
Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring Sentenced To 20 Months In Abramoff Scandal
Updated: 1:20PM
Former lobbyist and congressional staffer Kevin Ring was sentenced to 20 months in prison, with 30 months probation to follow, by a federal judge on Wednesday for his role in the Jack Abramoff scandal.
Ring's lawyers had been hoping for a sentence of probation. At a hearing in a courtroom in D.C. federal court, federal prosecutors sought to portray Ring as "number two in the team Abramoff scandal" and sought a sentence of 50 months in jail. That sentence would have been longer than the sentence received by Abramoff himself. A federal prosecutor argued that there "are sentencing disparities, but they are not unwarranted."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Bob Ney, Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Michael Scanlon
Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring: Gov't Wants 'Grossly Disproportionate' Sentence In Abramoff Scandal
A legal team for Kevin Ring, the member of "Team Abramoff" who the feds want to send to prison for two months longer than Jack Abramoff himself, is arguing that he doesn't deserve to spend four years and two months in prison for giving tickets to a former Justice Department official and two Senate staffers.
"By any objective measure, Kevin Ring was a mid-level player in this scandal, and yet the government asked for him to receive the longest sentence of anyone," his legal team writes in a court filing. "Its request is based on a distorted and unsubstantiated view of Mr. Ring's actions, his comparative culpability, and his character."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring
DOJ Wants Kevin Ring Sentenced To Two Months More Than Jack Abramoff
Federal prosecutors are asking a federal judge to send Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring to jail for four years and two months when he's sentenced on Oct. 26.
The Justice Department argued in a Tuesday filing that Ring should serve three years probation after his release and perform community service in lieu of a fine. Ring -- who was convicted of conspiracy, paying of an illegal gratuity and three counts of honest services fraud -- had asked for five years probation for his role in the Abramoff scandal.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Corruption, DOJ, DOJ Public Integrity, Jack Abramoff, John Doolittle, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists
Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring Asks For Five Years Probation For Role In Abramoff Scandal
A lawyer for Kevin Ring, a congressional staffer turned lobbyist caught up in the Jack Abramoff scandal, is arguing he should stay out of jail and get five years probation for his conviction in a scheme to corrupt public officials by providing a stream of gifts.
Prosecutors had been seeking an extremely harsh sentence of 17 years for Ring, but Judge Ellen Huvelle ruled that a range of 46 to 57 months would be more appropriate. He's set to be sentenced on Oct. 26.
"While we recognize that such a sentence may appear lenient at first blush, a comprehensive review demonstrates that such a sentence is not only comparatively fair, it is reasonable and proper in consideration of Mr. Ring's circumstances, the nature of his individual actions, and the significant sanctions this unique prosecution has already visited upon him and his family," Andrew T. Wise argues.
"While the offenses of conviction are serious in nature, Mr. Ring's role in those offenses was comparatively minor and the circumstances of his conduct are less blameworthy than other, more egregious public corruption offenses," he writes. "And Mr. Ring's personal history and actions, especially during the seven years since the events that led to his indictment, demonstrate a depth and sincerity of character diametrically opposed to the caricature of the man presented through two trials."
Ring also wrote a 12-page letter to the judge asking for leniency, writing that the "toll has been great," but that he has "kept the two most important things that I had within my control: the opportunity to love and be loved by my two daughters, and my integrity."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring
Jack Abramoff
Judge Tells Feds They Can't Retaliate Against Abramoff Pal Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring
A federal judge rebuffed the Justice Department's attempt to send Kevin Ring, the lobbyist affiliated with Jack Abramoff convicted of bribing public officials, to jail for 17 years, ruling federal prosecutors can't punish him for fighting the charges against him at trial.
Instead of the 17-22 year sentence the government wanted to impose, Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle ruled that Ring will face 46 to 57 months in jail when he's sentenced on Oct. 26.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Corruption, Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring
Feds: Abramoff Associate Kevin Ring 'Not Entitled' To Leniency
Kevin Ring
Federal prosecutors maintained in a filing on Thursday that Jack Abramoff crony Kevin Ring should face 17 to 22 years in jail because he is "is not entitled to the benefits, or leniency, enjoyed by his co-conspirators who stood in a very different position in 2005 to 2008 than he does in 2011."
Ring's lawyers had argued that the tough sentence the Justice Department has sought against him -- which exceeds the time served by all 20 other defendants in the conspiracy combined -- was a form of retaliation for his decision to go to trial and not plead guilty like many of his co-conspirators.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring
Feds: 17-22 Year Sentence For Abramoff Aide Kevin Ring Wouldn't Be Retaliation
Kevin Ring
Federal prosecutors want Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring to serve 17 to 22 years in jail because he refuses to admit that he's guilty and unsuccessfully fought the criminal charges against him, the Associated Press reported.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: DOJ, Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring
DOJ Lawyer Disbarred in Connection to Abramoff Scandal
Three years after pleading guilty to violating conflict of interest laws, the former U.S. Department of Justice lawyer involved in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal has been disbarred, Legal Times reports.
Robert E. Coughlin II was the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Criminal Division at the DOJ, the division which oversaw the probe into the Abramoff lobbying bribery case.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Robert Coughlin
Kevin Ring
Abramoff Pal Kevin Ring Facing Third Trial In Lobbying Scandal
Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring, a former junior associate at convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's firm, is facing a third trial as a result of the influence-peddling scandal making him the most prosecuted figure in the high-profile corruption probe, the Associated Press reports.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring
Abramoff Ally Kevin Ring Found Guilty In Scheme To Corrupt Officials
Kevin A. Ring
An associate of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was found guilty in federal court on five counts related to a scheme to corrupt public officials.
Kevin Ring was found guilty on one count of conspiring to corrupt congressional and executive branch officials by providing things of value; one count of paying a gratuity to a public official and three counts of honest services wire fraud for engaging in a scheme to deprive U.S. citizens of their right to the honest services of certain public officials, the Justice Department said in a statement. Ring was acquitted on three counts of honest services fraud, said DOJ.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Kevin Ring
Kevin Ring
Witness Recants Testimony Against Abramoff Associate
Kevin A. Ring
A key witness in the federal government's retrial against an associate of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff has decided to recant testimony he gave in the first trial.
John Albaugh, former chief of staff to Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK), told prosecutors he no longer feels he gave favors to clients of Jack Abramoff's firm because lobbyists had given him free meals and event tickets, the Associated Press reported.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Kevin Ring
Justice Department
Head Of DOJ Unit That Botched Stevens Case Steps Down
Fmr. Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK)
The head of the Justice Department's beleaguered Public Integrity unit is stepping down.
William Welch, who supervised the department's botched prosecution of former Alaska senator Ted Stevens, will remain with DOJ but return to Massachusetts, the Washington Post reported yesterday.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Eric Holder, Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Kevin Ring, Ted Stevens, William Welch
David Safavian
Former DOJ Prosecutor: Ring Case Was "Extremely Problematic" From The Start
Kevin A. Ring
A former prosecutor with the Justice Department's Public Integrity unit has called the case against Kevin Ring "an extremely problematic prosecution," since the favors that Ring was accused of doing for public officials weren't in themselves illegal.
A mistrial was declared in the case yesterday, after jurors deadlocked on the charges against the former Team Abramoff lobbyist.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)Topics: David Safavian, Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists, Ted Stevens
David Safavian
Safavian Gets A Year In Prison For Role In Abramoff Scandal
David Safavian
David Safavian, the former Bush Administration official who was convicted for the second time in December for lying and obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff probe, was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison, the Washington Post reports.
Safavian, who was chief of staff at the General Services Administration, was also convicted of lying on a financial disclosure form about the costs of Abramoff's famous 2002 golf junket to Scotland, which Safavian attended.
The Post reports that Safavian, whose wife is pregnant, made a plea for leniency to the judge today:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)Topics: Bush Administration, David Safavian, General Services Administration, Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists
Kevin Ring
Judge Will Declare Mistrial In Kevin Ring Case
Kevin A. Ring
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. plans to declare a mistrial on seven of eight counts in the case of top Jack Abramoff operative Kevin Ring, the Legal Times reports.
Ring was indicted last year on charges of bribing government officials and members of Congress with meals and event tickets in return for help for clients of Abramoff's lobbying firm.
The Legal Times reports:
Topics: Bribery, Jack Abramoff, John Doolittle, Justice Department, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists
Jack Abramoff
Former Rep. Doolittle Named As Unindicted Co-Conspirator In Trial Of Abramoff Crony
Fmr. Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA)
Former California GOP congressman John Doolittle has been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the trial of Jack Abramoff crony Kevin Ring.
Ring, a former top aide to Doolittle, was indicted last year for allegedly bribing lawmakers and members of the executive branch, after he left Capitol Hill and went to work for Abramoff. The indictment charged that, among other crimes, Ring provided lavish meals and events tickets to members of Doolittle's staff, and that Ring provided Doolittle's wife, Julia, with a lucrative non-profit job, arranged by Abramoff. Julia Doolittle has also been named as a co-conspirator.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Jack Abramoff, John Doolittle, Justice Department, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists
Jack Abramoff
Ashcroft Aide Pleads The Fifth In Trial Of Abramoff Crony
CEO of Ashcroft Group David Ayres
We told you it was likely to happen. And now it has.
John Ashcroft's top aide from the Justice Department has pleaded the fifth in the trial of a member of Team Abramoff.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: David Ayres, Dick Cheney, Jack Abramoff, John Ashcroft, Justice Department, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists
Jack Abramoff
Ring Prosecutors: Top Ashcroft Aide Helped Abramoff Client, Didn't Disclose Hoops Tix
CEO of Ashcroft Group David Ayres
We told you on Friday that David Ayres, a close John Ashcroft ally, looks set to plead the fifth in the latest corruption trial of a Jack Abramoff underling. And over the weekend we got fresh detail on what looks like Ayres's cozy relationship with Team Abramoff.
In documents filed yesterday in the corruption trial of Abramoff aide Kevin Ring, and examined by TPMmuckraker, prosecutors asserted that Ayres -- who at the time was Ashcroft's chief of staff at the Justice Department -- helped Ring win federal money for a prison to be built on the reservation of the Choctaw Indians, an Abramoff client. Prosecutors also asserted that Ring then gave Ayres tickets to the 2002 NCAA basketball tournament in Washington D.C. And, they say, the following year, Ring gave Ayres's wife tickets to a pro hoops game after she had said that she wanted them as a birthday gift for her husband. Ayres didn't report any of these tickets on financial disclosure forms, say the Ring prosecutors.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: David Ayres, Jack Abramoff, John Ashcroft, Justice Department, Kevin Ring
John Ashcroft
Top Ashcroft Aide May Plead Fifth In Trial Of Abramoff Crony
CEO of Ashcroft Group David Ayres
Did the Abramoff scandal extend into the highest reaches of the Justice Department?
John Ashcroft's chief of staff at DOJ may plead the fifth in the trial of Kevin Ring, the Team Abramoff operative accused of bribing lawmakers and public officials, according to court documents.
A motion filed this week by Ring's lawyers and examined by TPMmuckraker states:
Counsel for Mr. Ayres and counsel for Ms. Ayres [Ayres's wife] have indicated that each would invoke their Fifth Amendment privilege if subpoeaned.PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)
Topics: David Ayres, Dick Cheney, Jack Abramoff, John Ashcroft, Justice Department, Kevin Ring, Lobbyists
Jack Abramoff
Rep. Wilson: DOJ Hasn't Contacted Me On Abramoff
Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) put out a statement last night in response to our report that, according to a federal indictment, her office played a role in the corruption scheme headed by now-jailed ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
TPMmuckraker reported yesterday that excerpts from emails included in the indictment of Kevin Ring, a former Abramoff crony, identify a Wilson staffer as being actively involved in helping Abramoff's lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig, retain its contract with the Sandia Pueblo Indian tribe. We also noted that a member of Ring's lobbying team -- likely Abramoff himself -- believed he had the power to influence Rep. Wilson's decisions with regard to a land deal the tribe was seeking, according to the email excerpts, and that the Wilson staffer received tickets to an LA Clippers basketball game from Ring.
In response, Rep. Wilson says in her statement:
I was completely unaware until today of any former staffer's e-mails ... I have not been contacted by the Department of Justice about this matter at any time..Regarding the March 2003 e-mails between two rogue lobbyists concerning whether they would continue to be retained by the Pueblo, I am not sure whether to be amused or offended that they were operating under the delusion that I would help them retain their contract, or that losing their contract would hurt the Pueblo's longstanding relationship with me. As my constituents, I represent the Pueblo regardless of who they hire to represent them. At no time did I take any action on behalf of Greenberg Traurig with Sandia Pueblo
In reference to the Clippers tickets, the statement adds: "We have very strict rules in our office on gifts -- including tickets to events. We train our staff about House ethics rules and we enforce those rules up to and including dismissal." PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)
Topics: Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring
Jack Abramoff
Indictment: Heather Wilson's Office Tied to Abramoff
The Abramoff corruption probe has already snared one GOP Congressman, Bob Ney, and implicated a few more, most prominently Rep. John Doolittle of California. But could there be another to add to the list: Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico?
An examination by TPMmuckraker of the indictment of former Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring, filed yesterday, suggests that Wilson's office was tied in to Abramoff's corruption network at a level not previously known. And John McCain's 2005 investigation into Abramoff's fleecing of Indian tribes, which McCain conducted as chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, made no mention of that fact.
The Ring indictment contains the following statements from prosecutors:
On or about January 30, 2003, a lobbyist at Firm B emailed a staffer for the New Mexico tribe's U.S. Representative, "Sorry I couldn't hangout last night. I greatly appreciate your taking the time to han[g]out with the [New Mexico tribe]. It meant a lot to [K]evin and I [sic]. BTW, you should be all set for the [Los Angeles] Clippers [basketball] game."
And:
On or about February 14, 2003, a lobbyist at Firm B forwarded an email from the staffer for the New Mexico tribe's U.S. Representative to defendant RING in which the staffer had written, "How did Kevin' s meetings with the [New Mexico tribe] go? If you guys lose that contract I would be disappointed."
And:
On or about March 4, 2003, a lobbyist at Firm B emailed defendant RING, "I'm going to kill [the New Mexico tribe] with [its U.S. Representative] if we don't get hired."
And:
On or about March 7, 2003, a lobbyist at Firm B emailed defendant RING, "[ The staffer for the New Mexico tribe' s U.S. Representative] is going to be in the meeting with [the New Mexico tribe] when they come to town. He's going to give the 'are you guys staying with [Firm B] this cycle? They did a great job on . . . legislation . . . and really cleared the path for you guys . . . . . yadda yadda.' He's gonna gather as much intel as possible for us."
It's clear from identifying details in the indictment -- which refers to a New Mexico Indian tribe that hired Abramoff's firm, Greenberg Traurig around March 2002 -- that the tribe is the Sandia Pueblo Indians, who are represented in Congress by Wilson. So in other words, a staffer for Wilson was actively involved in helping Ring and Greenberg Traurig (Firm B, where Ring worked at the time), retain their contract to represent the Sandia Indians. And Ring's Greenberg partner -- most likely Abramoff himself, but certainly a member of Abramoff's team at Greenberg -- believed he had the power to affect decisions made by Rep. Wilson concerning the tribe's interests.
A spokesman for Rep. Wilson declined to comment on the information in the indictment.
We already knew that Wilson had accepted political contributions from both Abramoff himself and David Safavian, a former Abramoff crony and Bush administration official convicted for obstruction of justice as part of the Abramoff probe. But the information in the indictment suggests that her office worked with Abramoff more closely that has yet been reported.
Wilson has been a stalwart supporter and prominent surrogate for John McCain, painting him as a crusader against Washington corruption. Just last night, she appeared on MSNBC's Hardball to make the case for him, and last week she told NPR: "John McCain has chosen a reformer ... to be his running mate and I think that's a perfect complement to who he is and what he's done in his life."
Wilson may have good reason to hold the GOP nominee in high regard. In his 2005 Senate investigation, McCain had access to the Greenberg Traurig email trove, presumably including the ones cited by prosecutors in the Ring indictment highlighted above. But his final report generally avoided focusing on members of Congress, and omitted any mention of Wilson.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (22)Topics: David Safavian, Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring
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