Neil Volz

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Neil Volz was Chief of Staff to Representative Bob Ney (R-Ohio), staff director of the House Administration Committee, and later part of Team Abramoff, when he left Capitol Hill in February 2002 to work for Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig LLP. In 2006, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, including wire fraud and violating House rules, charges stemming from his work both for Ney and for Greenberg Traurig. [1] In 2007 he was sentenced to two years probation, 100 hours community service, and a fine of $2,000, much less than maximum of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, due to his cooperation with prosecutors. Volz provided evidence against Ney and William Heaton and testified against David Safavian.[2]

Abramoff's plea agreement details his practice of hiring former congressional staffers, including Volz (who is identified as "Staffer B") [1]. Abramoff used these persons' influence to lobby their former Congressional employers, in violation of a one-year federal ban on such lobbying.[2][3]. Three days after Abramoff's plea, Volz resigned from another lobbying firm, Barnes & Thornburg [4].

While Volz was Ney's chief of staff, "Abramoff had Ney insert a provision into an unrelated bill that would re-open the Tigua Indian Tribe's casino. Volz was Abramoff's chief point of contact during this effort, and soon thereafter Volz left Ney's office and went to work [early in 2002] for Jack Abramoff, where he immediately began to work as a lobbyist in violation of the one-year ban on lobbying after leaving the House of Representatives." [5][6]

Bloomberg News described Volz's plea agreement:

In court documents filed as part of Volz's plea agreement, prosecutors said that he and others at Greenberg Traurig offered trips, tickets to sporting events and numerous meals at Abramoff's restaurants to Ney. In 2003, Volz paid for part of a two-night trip to the Sagamore Resort in Lake George, New York, for Ney and members of his staff, prosecutors said.

Ney, for his part, agreed to help Abramoff clients with acts such as inserting language into legislation that would lift a gaming ban hurting one of the tribes, prosecutors said. The court documents also describe conversations in which Volz told Ney what Abramoff wanted him to say in meetings with the tribal client. [7]

Volz received abusive phone messages from Ney because he suspected Volz was cooperating with the prosecution. Volz turned those messages over, which would have been used against Ney if he had gone to trial.[2]

Pled Guilty Sentenced Sentence Started Serving Current Location
May 8, 2006 September 12, 2007 24 months probation, 100 hours community service, $2,000 N/A

[edit] References

  1. ^ Yost, Pete. "Former Aide to Rep. Ney Pleads Guilty", Associated Press, May 8, 2006. 
  2. ^ a b Sherman, Mark. "Former Hill Staffer Draws Probation", Associated Press, September 12, 2007. 

[edit] External links


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