Congresspedia’s “Congress in the News” updates, Oct. 18-Nov. 8, 2006

  • 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)