Ethical spotlight shines again on Feeney's golf trip to Scotland

27 Apr 2007 // WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, calls his 2003 golf trip to Scotland with convicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff an "embarrassing episode ... and an expensive lesson," but says he's not worried that the Justice Department is looking at the case.

Feeney, 46, a third-term Republican from Orange County, is back in the ethical spotlight after a former congressional aide, Mark Zachares, pleaded guilty in federal court this week to charges that he helped get insider information for Abramoff in exchange for money, sporting events tickets and the trip to Scotland. Zachares was an aide to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud, tax evasion and bribery conspiracy charges in January 2006 in a deal that requires him to provide the Justice Department with information about members of Congress. He began serving a 70-month prison term in November on unrelated fraud charges involving the purchase of SunCruz Casinos in 2000.

Feeney's office issued a statement this week acknowledging that the Justice Department is "investigating activity surrounding Jack Abramoff" and had contacted Feeney "to request more information regarding this matter and he is pleased to voluntarily cooperate."

Feeney declined to comment for this article, but earlier this week he told The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper, "these questions have been asked and answered 100 times."

Feeney went on to say that, "The Scooter Libby case showed that you must be careful when dealing with the (Department of Justice.) We're giving them everything they need and more."

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted in March of federal charges of lying to a grand jury and obstruction of justice in conjunction with a special prosecutor's probe into who leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.

The Justice Department's interest in Feeney appears to revolve around the golf trip to Scotland. Feeney has acknowledged that he was identified in court documents earlier this week as Representative #3 who took a 2003 golf trip to Scotland with Abramoff.

Two other lawmakers who took golf trips to Scotland with Abramoff were former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, who pleaded guilty last year to bribery charges stemming from his dealings with Abramoff, and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who has been indicted on unrelated charges involving a financing scheme related to Texas elections. Both have since resigned from Congress.

Feeney reported on his financial disclosure record that the trip was a fact-finding mission paid for by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, and that it cost $5,643.

In fact, Abramoff clients bankrolled the trip and the value was about $20,000 per person, according to records filed with Zachares' plea.

In its statement, Feeney's office noted that he raised the issue with the House Ethics Committee in 2005 after questions arose in the media about the trip.

In January, the committee issued a report that "concluded that the trip did not comply with House rules." But it closed its investigation without recommending disciplinary action on the condition that Feeney pay the federal treasury $5,643 to reflect the cost of the trip.

That seemed to put the issue to rest until the court documents against Zachares were released on Monday. Also this week, the Orlando Sentinel and the St. Petersburg Times reported they had been contacted by the FBI seeking information about Feeney's relationship with Abramoff. Both newspapers have referred the issue to their attorneys.

Feeney spokeswoman Pepper Pennington said in an e-mail that Feeney "is anxious to discuss this matter further when the time is appropriate."

Pennington said Feeney followed common congressional practice when he relied on the trip's sponsor for information about its value.

She also noted that Feeney flew only one way as Abramoff's guest, so the cost would be substantially less than the $20,000 identified by Zachares.

Also unlike the others, Feeney paid for all of his golf fees at the historic St. Andrews course, and "a number of other personal expenses," Pennington said.