The Columbus Dispatch reports this morning:

Three top aides to embattled Rep. Bob Ney are leaving his office, and a federal grand jury has subpoenaed another senior staff member in an investigation of the Heath Republican’s ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Matt Parker, who has served as district director for Ney’s office in Ohio as well as an adviser to the re-election campaign, was ordered to turn over documents to federal prosecutors and testify before a grand jury in Washington.

Parker’s subpoena was made public yesterday in an announcement on the House floor, as required when lawmakers or staff members receive subpoenas. Parker could not be reached for comment.

Also announced yesterday were the departures of Brian Walsh, a longtime Ney spokesman; Will Heaton, Ney’s chief of staff; and Chris Otillio, a senior legislative aide….

“Any suggestion or implication that the office of Ohio’s 18th congressional district is operating at anything less than full speed ahead is baseless and without merit,” Ney said.

When politicians feel compelled to rebut reactions before they actually occur, you can tell those reactions are pretty-much on target. The rats are departing the sinking ship of Representative Ney’s tenure. To my eyes, the only question left is whether Ney will read the writing on the wall and end his re-election bid so that (a la Tom Delay) someone else can run on the Republican ticket for southern Ohio, or whether he will stubbornly stick it out and lose disastrously on Election Day this November.