Abramoff-Linked Lawyer Resigns

[babylonsister]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0407/3532.html

Abramoff-Linked Lawyer Resigns

By: Josephine Hearn
April 16, 2007 01:07 PM EST


Amid reports the Justice Department is investigating ties between Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) and jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a key link between the two, Kevin A. Ring, has abruptly resigned from his law firm.

Ring tendered his resignation from Indianapolis-based law firm Barnes & Thornburg, effective Friday, confirmed the managing partner of the firm’s Washington office, Richard H. Streeter. Ring had no immediate plans to join another firm, a source close to the issue said.

Ring, 36, was an aide to Doolittle for five years and later worked for Abramoff at Florida-based law firm Greenberg Traurig. He often served as an intermediary between Abramoff’s clients and Doolittle’s office, according to news reports, and has remained close to Doolittle and his wife, Julie, who did consulting work for Abramoff.

Doolittle’s chief of staff, Richard Robinson, said the congressman was “not aware of the specific reason” behind Ring’s resignation. “But as a close friend and former employee, Kevin remains in the Doolittles’ thoughts and prayers,” Robinson said.

Asked about reports in The Washington Post that the Justice Department was looking at Doolittle as part of the Abramoff corruption inquiry, Robinson said, “It is my understanding that Congressman Doolittle is not the target of a Department of Justice investigation.”

Ring’s lawyer, Richard A. Hibey at Miller & Chevalier, did not return telephone calls for comment. A Justice Department spokesman, Bryan Sierra, had no comment.

more...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

1. The dominoes are falling, I hope.

[hang a left]

2. Well sure is convenient timing, wouldn't you say?

With all the questions surrounding where the hell the Abramoff investigation is.

Guess they have to show SOMETHING comes out of the Justice Department.

[EST]

3. Heheh-not a target. Favorite republicker mantra.

But what about next wednesday? Can you guarantee it?

Remember you in my prayers. It'd take a heap op praying to twist god's arm and get some free passes.

The hammer comes up...the hammer comes down.

[babylonsister]

4. From TPM on Ring's resignation:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003024.php

Former Doolittle Aide Resigns from Lobby Firm
By Paul Kiel - April 16, 2007, 2:51 PM

It's a bad, bad sign when a subject of the Jack Abramoff investigation suddenly and without explanation resigns from his job. And that's what Kevin Ring did Friday, according to The Politico.

Ring, who worked as a lobbyist with Abramoff from 2000 until Abramoff was forced to close up shop in 2004, has come up again and again over the course of the Abramoff investigation. But he had a singular and important role in Abramoff's organization -- he was Abramoff's access to Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), for whom Ring had been a senior staffer. Whenever Abramoff wanted Doolittle's help with anything -- and that happened often --, Ring was the man.

But Abramoff, being Abramoff, didn't expect help for nothing. And so it was Ring who served as the intermediary when Abramoff hired Doolittle's wife for consulting work, an arrangement that lasted for approximately two years. The payments suspiciously align with actions Doolittle took on behalf of Abramoff's clients.

Doolittle has been in investigators' sights since 2005. But it looks like they're finally closing in -- because if anyone could deliver Doolittle, it would be Ring.

As The Politico notes, Ring seems poised to follow the path of other aides who've pled guilty in the Abramoff scandal -- pleading guilty to lesser charges in return for delivering their former bosses to investigators. Ex-Rep. Bob Ney's (R-OH) former chief of staff Neil Volz, who also worked with Ring with Abramoff and then later at Barnes & Thornburg, resigned abruptly from that firm in January last year. He pled guilty to corruption charges in May, agreeing to cooperate and implicating Ney.

[Blackhatjack]

6. Read the tea leaves .... Ring most likely has made a deal with prosecutors, Lewis is up...

A 36 year old lawyer with an upscale Law Firm who resigns abruptly without an association with another law firm RAISES SUSPICION by itself. However, when the individual was the liasion between Lewis' Office and Plea Bargained Jack Abramoff, you can almost hear the rustle of indictments for Lewis in the distance.

You always work the conspiracy and criminal network from the ground up. Next up is Lewis.

You have to wonder what Carol Lamm had to do with this? Did she leave specific instructions on how the evidence she uncovered should be handled so that her replacement would have to violate their oath of office to ignore it?

Another pressing question: Did Lamm's US Attorney's Office have to deal with the fact that key evidence of corruption and involvement by Lewis was already in the hands of third-party Congressional Investigators?

Will be interesting to see if there is a serious attempt to prosecute Lewis and use the information to reach other Capitol Hill members?

[WiseButAngrySara]

5. Attorneys for attorneys for attorneys. Always looks bad! KNR. ....n/t