With Republicans reeling from the House page scandal, the Abramoff investigation and growing public discontent over President Bush's handling of the Iraq war, some of Ney's House colleagues are threatening to push for his expulsion if he does not resign.

Ney's expected court appearance comes a day after a Senate report concluded that five nonprofit groups, including one of President Bush's biggest supporters, may have broken tax laws and put their tax-exempt status at risk by helping Abramoff.

Ney signed papers a month ago admitting to charges of conspiracy and making false statements. He also acknowledged that he had deprived the public of his honest services.

About the same time, Ney checked into an alcohol rehabilitation program. If he enters a residential drug abuse program run by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, he could be eligible for a reduced sentence.

Despite his admission of criminal activity, Ney, 52, is entitled to collect a congressional pension.

In April, the House passed legislation that would have taken away congressional pensions of any lawmaker convicted of the conspiracy charge contained in the court papers that Ney signed. But the Senate-passed bill did not contain the pension provision, and the two chambers never reached a compromise.

During his time in Congress, Ney built up goodwill back home for his responsiveness and visibility in a sprawling, conservative region of mines, farms and Rust Belt towns in eastern Ohio.

The recently filed court papers note that Abramoff, the other lobbyists on his team and their clients had no connection to Ney's congressional district, other than the lawmaker himself. "None of whom were Ohio-based," the court documents note.

Ney's former chief of staff Neil Volz, who left Capitol Hill to work with Abramoff, pleaded guilty in May to charges that he conspired to corrupt his former boss and others.

Two former aides to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, also have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Abramoff also has pleaded guilty. All have been cooperating with federal prosecutors.

Abramoff himself pleaded guilty in January to tax evasion and wire fraud. While awaiting sentencing, he is cooperating with federal investigators.

Ney's court appearances come two weeks after it was revealed that Abramoff's lobbying team had 485 contacts in three years with White House aides. The tally by a House committee was based on records House investigators obtained from 13 of 24 Abramoff clients.

A week ago, a top aide to White House political adviser Karl Rove resigned amid questions over her links to Abramoff. Susan Ralston left after the House committee reported that she apparently accepted tickets to sporting events from Abramoff without reimbursing him.

In June, former White House official David Safavian, who had been the Bush administration's top procurement official, was convicted of covering up his dealings with Abramoff. He is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 27.

In a related development, a new Senate report says five nonprofit groups linked to Abramoff may have broken laws and endangered their tax-exempt status.

Among the groups named as possibly taking money from Abramoff clients and funneling it into his lobbying efforts on their behalf were Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government Waste and the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy.

Tax-exempt groups are barred by law from being paid to lobby or do public relations.

The 600-page Senate Finance Committee report was prepared by the committee's Democratic staff. Majority Republicans, however, had agreed to its release and joined with Democrats in issuing subpoenas for documents and e-mails cited in the report.

Americans for Tax Reform is headed by Grover Norquist, a key ally of President Bush and a longtime associate of Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser.

The report said Norquist's group accepted $1.5 million from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, one of Abramoff's clients. More than two-thirds of that money was then passed to Christian Coalition founder Ralph Reed as part of Abramoff's lobbying efforts to block a rival tribe's proposed casino in Alabama.

Norquist's group and a second organization cited in the report denied any wrongdoing. They also questioned the timing of the report's release so close to Nov. 7 elections in which Republicans are trying to return their control of Congress.

"This is political nonsense put out by the Democrats in an inappropriate attempt to influence the election," said John Kartch, communications director for Americans for Tax Reform.

David Williams, a vice president of Citizens Against Government Waste, said it was "kind of suspicious that three weeks before an election, this comes out."