Congresspedia’s “Congress in the News” updates, Oct. 18-Nov. 8, 2006
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Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) announced that he will resign from the Republican leadership at the end of the 109th Congress. (Time story)
Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) resigned from Congress after being convicted of accepting money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. (Washington Post story)
Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) reportedly received cash, gambling chips, campaign contributions, and a cruise vacation from a businessman to whom he earmarked millions of dollars. (TPMmuckraker story)
Newly released documents show that in December 2005, Rep. John Sweeney's (R-N.Y.) wife called 911 claiming domestic violence. She dropped her complaint soon after and no charges were filed. (Times Union story)
Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) failed to properly disclose a 2003 trip to Qatar paid for by the Grover Norquist-backed Islamic Institute. (New Republic story)
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) has been the principal congressional backer of an Italian arms maker that has employed his daughter and contributed large amounts to his campaign fund. (New York Times story)
Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.) is being investigated by federal authorities for illegally accessing a restricted federal database in order to obtain information for use in his gubernatorial campaign. (AP story)
The House Ethics Committee is unlikely to issue its report on the Mark Foley page scandal until after the November 7 elections. (Washington Post story)
Two former House Appropriations Committee investigators have accused Speaker Dennis Hastert's (R-Ill.) office of hindering their probe into waste and fraud involving House security upgrades. (Congressional Quarterly story)
A staffer for Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) sent a threatening e-mail to the president of Tel Aviv University demanding he pressure an associate to cease his backing of Kirk's electoral opponent. (Chicago Sun-Times story)
A Nevada woman who previously alleged that Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) assaulted her now claims that Gibbons attempted to bribe her to change her account of the incident. (Associated Press story)
Reports indicate that Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) may have failed to report his ownership of several Guatemalan properties. (Chicago Reader story)
Contrary to his previous statements, public land records show that Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) owns land in an area to which he has earmarked funds for the construction of a highway. (The Hill story)
Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) has come under fire for employing an illegal immigrant to work in his home. (KLAS Las Vegas story)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) is reportedly the subject of two federal probes, one involving legislation he introduced benefiting a military contractor that employs his father (NY Times story); the second relating to a government land deal involving a business partner. (AP story)
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is considering eliminating all earmarks from a spending bill under his jurisdiction. (Roll Call story)
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) has spent over $90,000 of his campaign funds on legal fees in connection to the ongoing investigation of his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. (TPM Muckraker story)
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is under investigation by the Justice Department for enlisting wealthy Democratic Party donors to help retain her spot as the head Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. (Time article)
A former staffer accused Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) of violating House rules by making fundraising calls from his congressional office. (Las Vegas Sun story)
A former staffer has sued the office of Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.), claiming she was sexually harassed by Alexander's chief of staff. (Roll Call story)
Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) denied allegations that he had assaulted and aggressively propositioned a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. (AP story)
The House Appropriations Committee under Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) dismissed the sixty private contractors it had hired to assist its staff in investigating government spending fraud. (USA Today story)
Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) failed to properly disclose who paid for a trip he took to the Northern Marianas Islands accompanied by an aide to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. (Times Union story)
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