Lobbyist Jack Abramoff became the poster child for lobbyist/political corruption on Capitol Hill. His associate Kevin Ring is lucky to have gotten off with a mistrial. It’s not likely that the government will go after him again considering that the jury deadlocked on all 8 counts–unless the votes on some or all of the counts were leaning heavily in favor of conviction.
By Del Quentin Wilber
Washington Post Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — A federal judge declared a mistrial Thursday in the prosecution of former lobbyist Kevin Ring after jurors deadlocked on charges that he lavished meals and concert tickets on public officials in the hope of illegally influencing them.
After hearing testimony for four weeks at the District’s federal court, jurors deliberated for eight days but could not reach a verdict on any of the eight charges of conspiracy, providing an illegal gratuity or honest services fraud. Federal prosecutors indicated they would seek another trial.
Ring, 38, was a close associate of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, one of 16 people who pleaded guilty to participating in a pay-to-play corruption scam that involved members of Congress, their staffers and officials in the executive branch. Ring and federal prosecutors declined to comment.
