Voting Station

Bob Ney

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U.S. Congressman

The Resume

    (July 5, 1954- )
    Born in Wheeling, West Virginia
    Represented Ohio's 18th District (1995-2006)
    Chaired the House Administration Committee (2001-06)
    Resigned as a result of the Jack Abramoff scandal (November 3, 2006)
    Wrote the memoir 'Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill' (2013)
    Republican

Why he might be annoying:

    He has been married and divorced twice.
    He was an alcoholic.
    When France refused to support the invasion of Iraq, he used his position as Chair of the Administration Committee to force the House cafeterias to change the name of French fries to 'freedom fries.' (2003)
    Barney Frank noted that the change made Congress 'look even sillier' than usual.
    He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and filing false financial disclosure forms (October 13, 2006) in connection to having performed political favors for Abramoff in return for gifts that included free trips to Scotland and the Super Bowl, the use of luxury boxes at sports events, and underwriting a $50,000 gambling spree at foreign casinos.
    Although his guilty plea left him unable to vote or serve on committees under House rules, he continued clinging to his House seat for nearly another month, solely so he could continue drawing a salary to pay his legal bills.
    While serving time at Morgantown Federal Correction Institution, he shared a cell with Survivor champ/tax evader Richard Hatch.
    His memoir incongruously alternated between self-help bromides like 'be mindful of what you feed your soul' and attacks against House Speaker John Boehner ('more interested in the high life -- golf, women, cigarettes, fun and alcohol -- than policy').

Why he might not be annoying:

    Before going into politics, he taught English in Iran.
    He was the only member of Congress fluent in Farsi.
    He was willing to defy Republican Party leaders on issues important to his blue-collar constituents, especially when it came to supporting the steel industry in America.
    He was one of only three House Republicans to vote against the PATRIOT Act (2001).
    After serving time, he completed rehab and quit drinking.
    He admitted, 'I have been treated better than I should have.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 15 Votes: 73.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 23 Votes: 73.91% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 30 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying