TPMmuckraker

TPMmuckraker: "Top Ney Aides Jump Ship
By Paul Kiel - June 29, 2006, 4:24 PM
John Bresnahan over at Roll Call has the scoop.
Rep. Bob Ney's (R-OH) legislative director is already out the door, and his chief of staff and communications director are on the way out.
And that's not all. One of Ney's aides in Ohio was recently subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury, and 'Additional subpoenas of Ney's staffers are expected soon.'
Brian Walsh, Ney's battle-tested flack (thanks for the memories!), apparently hasn't had enough of the Abramoff scandal. He's leaving Ney to be the spokesman for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who's come up repeatedly because of his role in shutting down the casino of the Tigua tribe in West Texas when he was Attorney General there. Ralph Reed, working for Abramoff, was very active in pushing along Cornyn's crusade, something Cornyn has claimed to know nothing about. Oh, but there are emails.
It looks like the Justice Department really has built up a head of steam."

And for more on Cornyn:

E-mails refute Cornyn's denial.

Ralph Reed claimed in a November 30th, 2001 e-mail to Abramoff that he choreographed John Cornyn's efforts as Texas attorney general to shut down the casino. Several other e-mails would seem to refute Cornyn's claims of obliviousness to Abramoff and Reed:

- Nov. 12, 2001: Reed to Abramoff: "I'm scheduled to talk to Cornyn today. He has also been called by Ed Young, pastor of second Baptist, a good friend who he is counting on big time in the Senate race."

- Nov. 12, 2001: Reed to Abramoff: "get me the details so i can alert cornyn and let him know what we are doing to help him."

- Nov. 13, 2001: Reed to Abramoff: "I strongly suggest we start doing patch-throughs to perry and cornyn. We're getting killed on the phone."

- And Jan. 7, 2002 (with victory apparently in sight), Reed to Abramoff: "I think we should budget for an ataboy for cornyn."

Cornyn received a $1,000 campaign contribution from Abramoff.

When Cornyn ran for Senate in 2002, Abramoff contributed $1,000, the maximum amount legally allowed.