Ex-Abramoff ally rebuffed by Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from the only lobbyist to be tried on charges of bribing public officials related to the Jack Abramoff scandal.

The court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from Kevin Ring, who was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

Ring was the only lobbyist defendant to go to trial rather than make a deal with the government to plead guilty and cooperate. All the other lobbyists and most of the public officials charged cooperated with prosecutors and received plea deals, most of which did not include prison terms. Abramoff, the ringleader, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Ring, who worked under Abramoff, was convicted of giving meals and event tickets to public officials with an intent to corrupt them.