A Week After Home is Raided, Lawmaker is Forced Off Panel

By Erica Werner THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROSEVILLE — U.S. Rep. John Doolittle, whose house was searched by the FBI in an influence-peddling investigation, said Thursday he will step down temporarily from the House Appropriations Committee.

The announcement by the nine-term California Republican came one day after the disclosure that agents had raided his home in Oakton, Va. In the search April 13, the FBI had a warrant for information connected with a fundraising business run by Doolittle’s wife, Julie, that had done work for convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Doolittle’s ties to Abramoff have come under scrutiny in the corruption investigation that has sent one former Republican congressman, Bob Ney of Ohio, to prison on a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy and making false statements, and produced convictions against two senior Bush administration officials and several congressional aides.

Congressional Republicans have worked to repair their party’s image in the wake of November’s election losses that followed Democratic criticism of a GOP “culture of corruption.” House Minority Leader John Boehner made clear to Doolittle on Thursday morning that he must resign the committee, according to a Republican aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.

Last week’s search of Doolittle’s home took place on the same day that Kevin Ring, a former Doolittle aide who went on to work for Abramoff, resigned from a law firm without explanation.

Doolittle, a conservative from Roseville, is an ally of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

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