Rove aide resigns in fallout over Abramoff report

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) An aide to top White House political adviser Karl Rove resigned in the fallout over a congressional report showing many White House contacts with ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a spokeswoman said today.

Last week's report by the US House of Representatives Government Reform Committee said Rove aide Susan Ralston had passed inside White House information to superlobbyist Abramoff while she was also accepting his tickets to nine sports and entertainment events.

Abramoff and several associates have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud in an influence-peddling scandal and are cooperating with a federal corruption probe that has reached into the US Congress.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Ralston submitted her resignation after recognizing that ''a protracted discussion of these matters would be a distraction to the White House.'' Ralston chose to step down and ''we support her decision and consider the matter closed,'' Perino said.

Ralston worked for Abramoff before joining Rove as a key aide in the White House in 2001.

Democrats quickly seized on the development.

''It seems the Republican culture of corruption has claimed its next victim,'' Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Stacie Paxton said in a statement.

Ralston submitted a letter of resignation to Bush yesterday in which she said after six years at the White House ''the time has come for me to pursue other opportunities.'' ''We appreciate her years of able service and accept her judgment that it's appropriate for her to step down at this time,'' Perino said.

REUTERS DKS RAI0148