William Heaton
Encyclopedia
William Heaton is the former chief of staff for former Rep. Bob Ney
(R
-Ohio
), and a supporting figure in the Abramoff scandal.
. He attended Bishop McGuiness Memorial Catholic High School where he was elected student council president. Heaton was also active in sports while at Bishop McGuinness, participating on the junior varsity basketball team and the varsity cross country team. Heaton spent his junior year of high school in Washington, DC where he participated in the congressional page program. He won the student council presidency election even though he was in Washington, DC.
After high school, Heaton attended the College of William and Mary
. While there, he worked as a floor assistant to then-Speaker Dennis Hastert
(R-Ill.
). As late as February 2007, Heaton was listed on the College's website as one of 12 "Distinguished Alumni".
as Ney's chief of staff in 2002. At the age of 23, he was the youngest chief of staff on Capitol Hill. He left in July 2006 and was named as "Staffer C" in Ney's plea deal of September 15, 2006. He is currently employed as Director of Communications at Washington Theological Union
in Washington, DC.
to commit fraud
admitting to conspiring with Ney, Jack Abramoff
and others to accept vacations, meals, tickets, and contributions to Ney's campaign in exchange for Ney benefitting Abramoff's clients, none of whom lived in Ohio.
The picture at left is from the much publicized trip to St. Andrews
, the famed Scottish golf course. This trip was paid for by Abramoff at a cost of $160,000. Heaton admitted "falsifying his and Ney's financial disclosure forms in 2002 and 2003 to keep gifts secret. For example, Ney's forms said the Scotland trip was paid for by the National Center for Public Policy Research
so he could meet with Scottish parliamentarians, though the Scottish Parliament
was not in session...."
On August 29, 2003, Heaton joined Ney and another Ney staffer for a one-night stopover in London
where they were furnished with thousands of dollars worth of gambling chips for use at private casinos, "from a foreign businessman who has been identified by Ney's attorney as Fouad al-Zayat, a high-rolling London gambler who sought Ney's help in circumventing a law barring the sale of U.S.-made airplanes and airplane parts to other countries." Ney lied to customs
to smuggle
in thousands of dollars received during the trip.
Bob Ney
Robert William Ney is an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
), and a supporting figure in the Abramoff scandal.
Education
Heaton grew up in Winston-Salem, North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He attended Bishop McGuiness Memorial Catholic High School where he was elected student council president. Heaton was also active in sports while at Bishop McGuinness, participating on the junior varsity basketball team and the varsity cross country team. Heaton spent his junior year of high school in Washington, DC where he participated in the congressional page program. He won the student council presidency election even though he was in Washington, DC.
After high school, Heaton attended the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
. While there, he worked as a floor assistant to then-Speaker Dennis Hastert
Dennis Hastert
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
(R-Ill.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
). As late as February 2007, Heaton was listed on the College's website as one of 12 "Distinguished Alumni".
Career
Heaton worked as Ney's executive assistant on the House Administration Committee, and he succeeded Neil VolzNeil Volz
Neil Volz was Chief of Staff to Representative Bob Ney , staff director of the House Administration Committee, and later part of Team Abramoff, when he left Capitol Hill in February 2002 to work for Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig LLP...
as Ney's chief of staff in 2002. At the age of 23, he was the youngest chief of staff on Capitol Hill. He left in July 2006 and was named as "Staffer C" in Ney's plea deal of September 15, 2006. He is currently employed as Director of Communications at Washington Theological Union
Washington Theological Union
Washington Theological Union is a Roman Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry in Washington, D.C., with a mission of educating and forming candidates for the priesthood and other church ministries. WTU is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada...
in Washington, DC.
Abramoff scandal
Heaton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracyConspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to commit fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
admitting to conspiring with Ney, Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
and others to accept vacations, meals, tickets, and contributions to Ney's campaign in exchange for Ney benefitting Abramoff's clients, none of whom lived in Ohio.
| Pleaded Guilty | Sentenced | Sentence | Started Serving | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 26, 2007 | August 16, 2007 | 24 months probation, 100 hours community service, $5000 fine | N/A |
Trips with Ney
St Andrews Links
St Andrews Links in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, is regarded as the "home of golf". It is one of the oldest courses in the world, where the game has been played since the 15th century...
, the famed Scottish golf course. This trip was paid for by Abramoff at a cost of $160,000. Heaton admitted "falsifying his and Ney's financial disclosure forms in 2002 and 2003 to keep gifts secret. For example, Ney's forms said the Scotland trip was paid for by the National Center for Public Policy Research
National Center for Public Policy Research
The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a self-described conservative think tank in the United States. Its president since its founding has been Amy Ridenour. David A. Ridenour, her husband, is vice president, and David W. Almasi is executive director...
so he could meet with Scottish parliamentarians, though the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
was not in session...."
On August 29, 2003, Heaton joined Ney and another Ney staffer for a one-night stopover in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where they were furnished with thousands of dollars worth of gambling chips for use at private casinos, "from a foreign businessman who has been identified by Ney's attorney as Fouad al-Zayat, a high-rolling London gambler who sought Ney's help in circumventing a law barring the sale of U.S.-made airplanes and airplane parts to other countries." Ney lied to customs
United States Customs Service
Until March 2003, the United States Customs Service was an agency of the U.S. federal government that collected import tariffs and performed other selected border security duties.Before it was rolled into form part of the U.S...
to smuggle
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
in thousands of dollars received during the trip.