A photo of Congressman Bob Ney with Indian tribe leaders at the heart of a lobbying scandal means new trouble for the congressman.

Ney is accused of doing special favors for the Tigua Indian tribe, which is a former client of soon-to-be-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The photo, which is making rounds in Washington, shows Ney and two of the tribal leaders.

Ney is accused of making special additions to legislation for the tribe and then accepting campaign cash from the tribe.

E-mails, some of which NEWS9 previously obtained, indicated that Abramoff associates asked the tribe to make campaign donations to Ney. Shortly after, Ney received thousands of dollars in contributions.

Ney said he never knew those contributions were being made.

"It looks bad. I understand that. At the end of the day, I didn't even know we had received a check, which I think says a lot for us because we didn't know what Abramoff and his cohorts were doing," Ney said.

Though the House Ethics Committee is investigating Ney, the six-term congressman contends that evidence will ultimately prove his innocence.

Ney's challenger in the November election, Zack Space of Dover, said Ney's relationship with Abramoff is reason to oust him from office.

Stay with NEWS9 for continuing coverage.

-Renee Cardelli & Scott MacFarlane, NEWS9