Washington – Rep. John Doolittle, whose house was searched by the FBI in an investigation of influence-peddling, said Thursday that 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.
“I understand how the most recent circumstances may lead some to question my tenure on the Appropriations Committee,” Doolittle wrote House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
“Therefore, I feel it may be in the best interest of the House that I take a temporary leave with seniority from this committee until this matter can be resolved.”
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.
Doolittle, a conservative from Roseville, in northern California, is an ally of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Doolittle called Abramoff a friend, and the two had numerous connections.
