FBI raids congressman's home

OAKTON, Va., April 18 (UPI) -- FBI agents raided the Virginia home of Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., where his wife Julie runs a business with ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The FBI executed the search warrant at the Doolittles' Oakton, Va., residence Friday, sources told The Washington Post Wednesday. The federal agency is investigating the ties between Julie Doolittle's Sierra Dominion Financial Services Inc. and Abramoff for more than a year, the sources said.

Since 2005, authorities have been examining payments Abramoff and his colleagues made to Julie Doolittle, as well as to the spouses of other lawmakers.

In late March, Abramoff was sentenced to nearly six years in prison fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials.

Julie Doolittle denies any wrongdoing.

"Sierra Dominion Financial Services, and its owner, Mrs. Julie Doolittle, have cooperated for years, and continue to cooperate, in the ongoing investigation of the Jack Abramoff matter," said William L. Stauffer Jr., an attorney for Julie Doolittle who declined further comment, saying it would be "unproductive for everyone involved."

Meanwhile, Kevin Ring, who served on Doolittle's staff before joining Abramoff's group, resigned from Barnes & Thornburg. Ring also was under investigation in the Abramoff probe, the newspaper reported.