Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Representative Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican, resigned from Congress following his guilty plea to taking gifts from lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for legislative favors, House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office said.

Ney, 52, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine after pleading guilty Oct. 13 to conspiracy and making false statements. Ney's resignation comes four days before voters in Ohio choose a successor to fill his seat.

Democrats seeking to take control of Congress have used Ney's association with Abramoff as part of a theme that Republicans are too cozy with Washington lobbyists. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, in a statement today, cited a Republican ``culture of corruption'' and criticized the party's leaders for letting Ney stay in Congress after he admitted his guilt.

``I allowed myself to get too comfortable with the way things have been done in Washington, D.C., for too long,'' Ney said in a statement after his guilty plea last month. ``I accepted things I shouldn't have with the result that Jack Abramoff used my name to advance his own secret schemes of fraud and theft in ways I could never have imagined.''

Following Ney's guilty plea, Hastert and other Republican leaders said that if he didn't resign, they would act to kick him out when the House reconvenes on Nov. 13. Ney said he was undergoing treatment for an alcoholism problem.

Fourth to Resign

Ney is the fourth Republican member of Congress to resign in the past year after running into ethics problems. Last November, Representative Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham of California resigned after admitting in court to taking bribes.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, indicted in Texas on a money-laundering charge, resigned in June. In September, Representative Mark Foley of Florida quit after his lewd e-mail exchanges with teenage males who had served as congressional pages were made public.

The scandals may help Democrats take the 15 seats they need to control the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report favors Democratic candidate Zack Space to replace Ney, and in Florida, Cook favors the Democratic candidate to replace Foley. DeLay's former seat is rated a ``toss-up'' by Cook.

A Justice Department-led task force is continuing to investigate public officials, meeting regularly with Abramoff and his former partner Michael Scanlon, who also pleaded guilty.

Administration Committee

Until January, Ney served as chairman of the House Administration Committee, a powerful post with authority over federal elections and day-to-day operations of the House such as doling out coveted parking spots and playing a role in contracts awarded for work in the Capitol.

His job made him valuable to Abramoff's team of lobbyists. Ney acknowledged in his plea agreement that, among other favors, he helped Abramoff's team obtain a wireless contract for a client and helped move legislation to benefit a casino-owning Indian tribe represented by the lobbyist. In return, Ney said he received thousands of dollars worth of travel, meals, drinks and tickets to sporting events and a rock concert.

In one case, Abramoff treated Ney and two aides to a golf trip to Scotland that cost more than $160,000, according to court papers. Ney and his staff also received trips to New Orleans and Lake George, New York, prosecutors said.

Ney admitted in court papers to filing false disclosure statements to the House and in at least one case, lying on a U.S. Customs Service form after accepting thousands of dollars of gambling chips from an unidentified foreign businessman while in London. After pocketing more than $50,000, Ney handed an aide about $5,000 so he could report a lower amount to Customs.

After Ney's resignation was announced today, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said in an e-mailed statement, ``Well, it's about time.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Michael Forsythe in Washington at mforsythe@bloomberg.net; Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 3, 2006 18:41 EST