Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- A top aide to White House political director Karl Rove has resigned after a U.S. House report examined her ties to disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The aide, Susan Ralston, is quitting a week after a House Government Reform panel described her role in arranging tickets to sporting events from the lobbyist to Rove.

``She recognized that a protracted discussion of the matters in the House Government Reform Committee's report would be a distraction to the White House, and she chose to step down,'' assistant White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said. ``We support her decision, and after a review of the report, we consider the matter closed.''

The report showed that Abramoff claimed at least 485 contacts with administration officials between 2001 and 2004, including nine with Rove. Based on billing records from Abramoff's former law firm, the report said he claimed 17 meetings, seven telephone conversations and 42 e-mail exchanges with White House officials -- more than half with Ralston, who also is a former colleague of Abramoff's.

The report cited several instances in which Ralston helped Abramoff get access to White House officials, passed documents to Rove and kept Abramoff informed about political appointees he was pushing for jobs.

Iraqi Bonds

In November 2003, Ralston told Abramoff about the position the National Security Council was taking on Iraqi bonds, which was of interest to one of Abramoff's clients, the American Bondholders Foundation, according to the report.

Abramoff and Ralston also discussed the possibility of Ralston taking a job with a defense company, the report said.

Ralston may have received tickets for nine sporting events and concerts, including four tickets to an Aug. 10, 2002, Bruce Springsteen concert, the report said. In all, the tickets offered to Ralston were worth $1,300, it said.

``In most cases, the documents do not indicate whether the White House officials paid or offered to pay for the tickets,'' the report said. Ralston requested tickets for herself on at least seven occasions, the report said. In one instance, Abramoff e-mailed Ralston about hockey tickets: ``No problem, you don't have to pay!''

Other Opportunities

In her resignation letter to President George W. Bush yesterday, Ralston said ``the time has come for me to pursue other opportunities.''

The report showed that Abramoff routinely offered concert and sports tickets to White House officials, and that in 2002 Ralston was also the go-between on tickets to the NCAA basketball tournament for Rove, tickets Rove said he paid for.

Abramoff pleaded guilty Jan. 3 to conspiracy to corrupt public officials and is cooperating with a federal probe.

The Abramoff case has already led to the conviction of former White House official David Safavian and an agreement to plead guilty to accepting illegal gifts by Representative Robert Ney, an Ohio Republican.

Abramoff also was sentenced in March to five years and 10 months in prison in a separate Florida fraud case.

In her capacity as Rove's assistant, Ralston also testified before a federal grand jury investigating whether administration officials purposely leaked the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame; neither Rove nor Ralston was charged with wrongdoing in that matter.

To contact the reporter on this story: Richard Keil in Washington at dkeil@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 6, 2006 17:32 EDT