Problems for DeLay's Buddies

“WASHINGTON, May 4 - Two Republican members of the House ethics committee who contributed to the legal defense fund of Representative Tom DeLay, the majority leader, recused themselves Wednesday from any potential investigation of him as the panel took the first steps that could lead to such an inquiry.

more...”

“14 Lawmakers Now Under Scrutiny In Travel Scandal
Thu May 05 200 510:47:10 ET

The scandal over Congressional travel continues to grow, with at least 14 Members, as well as numerous Capitol Hill staffers, are now under scrutiny because of the sources of funding for domestic and overseas trips they took.

ROLL CALL reports: Although House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is by far the most high-profile lawmaker caught up in the scandal so far, to this point, more Democrats than Republicans have found themselves the subject of news reports outlining potential violations of House ethics rules for taking trips funded by registered lobbyists or lobbying firms.
The number is sure to rise as researchers for both parties, as well as reporters and political activists, continue to dig through tens of thousands of pages of travel documents on file with Congress.

Democrats were privately taken aback that two of their more prominent members, Reps. James Clyburn and Bennie Thompson, had become embroiled in the political furor surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Democratic sources said they expect Clyburn and Thompson to face an ethics inquiry given all attention surrounding DeLay and his overseas trips.

But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that Democrats cannot be considered in the same category as Republicans when it comes to ethics problems. Rep. Pelosi said, "It is not an issue of members of our Caucus having the same sort of a problem. Make no mistake - there is a drastic difference between the timing of reporting things and ethical behavior."

Developing...
Drudge Report


Pelosi, what a hypocritical scumbag!
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
last edited: 5/05/05 6:52:14 PM”

“http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/nyregion/09clinton.html?hp&ex=1115697600&en=ea6fecead9772ee1&ei=5059&partner=AOL

Political Drama Abounds in Trial Involving Mrs. Clinton's Hollywood Fund-Raiser

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
Published: May 9, 2005
WASHINGTON, May 8 - It is a cast worthy of a political thriller: a former convict whose claims about a former president and first lady spurred a criminal investigation; a prominent senator's brother-in-law, who worked undercover for federal agents looking into the case; political enemies of the former first family trying to dig up fresh dirt; and some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

All these characters will share some of the spotlight beginning Tuesday in a Los Angeles courtroom, where David F. Rosen, the former fund-raising director for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, will go on trial on charges that he illegally underreported the cost of a fund-raiser held for Mrs. Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign.

The case is being closely watched because of its political implications for Mrs. Clinton, who is not only running for re-election next year but is also considered a leading Democratic candidate for the presidency in 2008. While she has not been accused of any wrongdoing and is not expected to testify, the trial represents another potentially embarrassing chapter for the Clintons, who have been criticized for their associations with other questionable figures.

The federal government's criminal case is largely built around the claims of Peter Paul, an ex-convict who turned on the Clintons after producing a lavish Hollywood fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton in 2000. Specifically, he claims that Mrs. Clinton's campaign staff did not disclose that he had spent nearly $2 million on the event, money that should have been reported as a contribution to Mrs. Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign.

Mr. Paul said he organized and served as a co-host for the affair - a star-studded gala that charged $1,000 a person - to win former President Bill Clinton's support for Stan Lee Media, an Internet venture he had started with Mr. Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man.

"An ex-president is the best rainmaker you can get," Mr. Paul said in a recent telephone interview from his apartment in North Carolina, where he is free on bail while awaiting sentencing in an unrelated criminal case.

But Mr. Paul says the Clintons and their associates turned their backs on him after The Washington Post disclosed his criminal past, which includes his guilty plea in 1979 to cocaine possession and an attempt to defraud the government of Fidel Castro out of millions of dollars.

Representatives of the Clintons have dismissed Mr. Paul's claims. And they have sought to discredit him as a shady person whose role in the 2000 fund-raiser stemmed only from his connection to the company he had started with Mr. Lee, who was listed as the host of the event, according to a copy of a program. Other luminaries on the program included Gray Davis, the former governor of California; Gregory Peck; Norman Lear; and Rob Reiner.

The indictment against Mr. Rosen states that he falsely reported that the gala cost $401,419 when it actually cost at least $1.2 million, a figure that includes at least $1.1 million worth of in-kind contributions of goods and services used to stage the gala. Prosecutors are apparently working under the premise that underreporting these in-kind contributions would have freed up additional "hard money" that the Clinton campaign could directly spend in the election itself, under a complicated series of campaign-finance formulas governing such expenditures.

But the defense is expected to argue that Mr. Rosen had no way of knowing that the figures he reported were wrong because he had relied on information provided by Mr. Paul and others who arranged the event. "It's not as though David Rosen wrote the checks," said one person involved in the case.

Mr. Paul says that he regularly kept Mr. Rosen apprised of production costs and that he decided to go public with his concerns after discovering that the finance disclosure statements filed by the Clinton campaign were at odds with his own records. But allies of the Clintons say Mr. Paul made the accusations in an attempt to cut a deal with prosecutors investigating financial improprieties at Stan Lee Media.

Prosecutors said in a court filing on Thursday that Mr. Paul would not be called to testify. Yet his charges prompted the investigation and have given a new stage to the cast of colorful characters surrounding the Clintons, at a time when the couple have been trying to move past the intrigue that engulfed them during their White House years.

In the process, Mr. Rosen, 40, who faces five years in prison on each of three charges against him, could become a bit player at his own trial.

Recently, for example, it was disclosed that a brother-in-law of Senator Edward M. Kennedy had been working as an informer in the case against Mr. Rosen. The brother-in-law, Raymond Reggie, was among the scores of donors to Mrs. Clinton's campaign who got to spend the night at the White House and Camp David.

Mr. Reggie - a member of a politically prominent Louisiana family, whose sister, Victoria, is married to Senator Kennedy - gave at least $7,330 in direct contributions to Mrs. Clinton's campaign, according to records. He was also on a committee that held a luncheon for Mrs. Clinton in New Orleans that raised an estimated $100,000 for her campaign, according to published reports.

People involved in the case say he wore a wire during a dinner with Mr. Rosen and recorded their conversation. In the tapes, Mr. Reggie steered the conversation into a discussion about the production costs of the 2000 Hollywood fund-raiser, according to a person involved in the case.

Mr. Rosen, in turn, told Mr. Reggie of his frustration at having to deal with Mr. Paul, whom he described as an unreliable character, according to people familiar with the case.

While it is unclear what impact the tapes will have on the case the federal government is pursuing against Mr. Rosen, the disclosures about Mr. Reggie's role as an undercover informer led to a flurry of speculation over whether he had recorded conversations with anyone else associated with the Clintons.

The case has re-energized many of the couple's longtime critics, as the Clintons seek to establish new political roles - he as an elder statesman and she as a leading presidential contender.

In an effort to publicize his allegations against the Clintons, Mr. Paul recently enlisted the help of the United States Justice Foundation, a conservative legal advocacy group.

The group, in turn, plans to employ its direct-mail operation to raise money for the Hillary Clinton Accountability Project, a venture meant to disseminate potentially damaging information about the Clintons, and cover the costs of a civil lawsuit Mr. Paul has filed against them. The suit says Mr. Paul claims he gave close to $2 million in services and donations to Mrs. Clinton's Senate campaign based on promises - unfulfilled, it says - that Mr. Clinton would join his Internet venture.

The Accountability Project is reminiscent of the Arkansas Project, an enterprise at The American Spectator magazine in which a multimillion-dollar fund paid for efforts to dig up dirt on the Clintons' dealings before they came to Washington.

Recently, the Justice Foundation created a Web site, hillcap.org, that invites visitors to make a contribution of at least $50, which will entitle them to a 90-minute film of the 2000 fund-raiser. According to the indictment against Mr. Rosen, the gala, billed as the Hollywood Gala Salute to William Jefferson Clinton, raised more than $1 million for Mrs. Clinton's campaign.

According to the Web site, the film shows more than a thousand guests - including the Clintons - attending a concert with performances by Cher, Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle, Diana Ross, Toni Braxton, Michael Bolton and Paul Anka.

The Web site, which also includes photos of Mr. Paul hobnobbing with both Clintons, said the film captured "an unforgettable and emotional evening that brought tears to Bill Clinton's eyes." It also described the film as "evidence of the biggest campaign finance fraud in American history."

The Justice Foundation is only the latest group of Clinton critics to get involved in the case. Initially, Mr. Paul's case was championed, in the courts and in the news media, by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group that hounded the Clintons during their White House years.

But the relationship between Mr. Paul and officials at Judicial Watch ended in acrimony, with Mr. Paul accusing the group of using his case merely to raise money from conservative donors opposed to the Clintons.










"While she has not been accused of any wrongdoing and is not expected to testify, the trial represents another potentially embarrassing chapter for the Clintons, who have been criticized for their associations with other questionable figures."

How quaintly the NYT treats the Clinton problems, as mere "embarrassments."

What's that silence??????
Dang! I don't hear ANY screams of outrage from the Libs!
Off with her head! She MUST resign in disgrace NOW!!!! ;-)”

“You're pathetic.”

“Hypocrisy is thy name.”

“The Chicago Tribune reports that while lawmakers are required to disclose a privately financed trip within 30 days, Illinois Democrats Bobby Rush and Luis Gutierrez haven't filed any trip reports since 2000. Rush's office says he plans to rectify the situation, adding, "we didn't know we had to file."

The Tribune also reports that Illinois representatives have traveled for free to places like Las Vegas, Rome and the Cayman Islands. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who has taken seven trips since 2000, admits he visits "nice places," but insists, "we do serious work there."




Oh, damn, I don't hear any screaming and fit pitching from the libs again.

"we didn't know we had to file."
LOL, these guys are either liars or to stupid to serve.”

“LOL, these guys are either liars or to stupid to serve.”
StoveStomper
8:22:32 AM
5/10/05

I think you hit it with the first comment about being liars. But then again aren't all politicians liars. Still no excuse.
If all of the people would put their foot down and start getting rid of all the jerks up there from both parties it might help us all in the long run”

“Good luck with all that Ewk. Never trust a polititian is very good advice. I don't care what side of the aisle they say they are on when it comes right down to it they all lie to get ahead. In the end they have a hell of a retirement package and book deals and speaking engagements pay lots of money into those golden years. The Clintons had a crapload of dirty laundry, so do the Bushes, that will never change. It seems to be a lucrative business, politics.”

“squirrelbait, got to remember most start off as lawyers before entering politics. what does that tell ya about lawyers ;)”

“I’m really tired of the moral relativism of people like StoveStomper – “Everybody does it, so its OK.”

Some people still believe in right and wrong Stovie. You should look into it.”

“LOL
The VileMan just does not get it.”

“V believes that if a democrat does it, it's right, if a republican does it it's wrong.

That's what he means by right and wrong.”

“That's all you get from the tone of this thread, NP?”

“No,TB, I got that from reading V's posts over the last year or so.”

“LOL
I don't usually agree with trolls. But the NoProb troll hit it square on the head.”

“I figured that's all you would see in this...”

“Interesting reading....
http://www.PoliticalMoneyLine.com/



Dems Top List of Congressional Travelers

Though the media have targeted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay because of a few trips he's taken, it turns out he's nowhere near the top of the list of congressional junketeers.

In fact, the top 10 travelers for the last five years in both the House and Senate happen to be Democrats, according to analysis by the Web site PoliticalMoneyLine.com.

Tied for first place in the category of congressional wanderings are Rep. Maxine Waters and Sen. John Breaux - Democrats from California and Louisiana, respectively - with 61 trips each.
The prize for third-most-accomplished junketeer goes to Tennessee Democratic Rep. Harold Ford (60 expeditions), followed by Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (59 sojourns).

Senate media hound Joe Biden earned himself fifth place by keeping busy in between appearances on "Meet the Press" with 57 jaunts around the globe.

Then there's unabashed DeLay critic Barney Frank, whose wanderings landed him in sixth place with 51 trips.

Bringing up the rear of PML's top 10 traveler list are Sen. Joe Lieberman, Rep. James Clyburn, Sen. Evan Bayh and Rep. Danny Davis - all Democrats.

So, where does media target Tom DeLay rank? Way down the list in the 121st slot - tied with Democratic Senate heroine Barbara Boxer (14 trips each).

The Texas Republican lags well behind the Democratic Party's shining star, Sen. Hillary Clinton - who has jet-setted her way through 28 junkets since making her congressional debut.”

“You are supposed to be a smart guy, SS. Surely you see a difference between travelling and having lobbyists pay for the trip in violation of House rules, don't you?

Delay is not being accused of travelling or merely not filing the proper paperwork about the trips - what he appears to be is a whore who has sold out to the highest bidder. He’s the poster child for the kind of arrogance and overreach you get with one party rule. Are you sure you want to go on defending him merely because of his party affiliation?”

“What's good for the goose, is good for the gander.

Sorry you don't wish to understand that.”

“So you put party before country? Good for you.”

“Crying and pointing at others doens't really get Delay off the hook SS. You want someone so easily bought off by lobbiests in a key position in your party of choice SS then so be it?
And yes the rules should apply to both sides. I'm sure Hillary will come under the spotlight too. And if she has done something wrong then a suitable punishment needs to be effected. I have no issue with Senators and Congressmen of both parties being kicked out because they take illegal money and benefits for thier actions. One of the biggest problems with polictis is how easy it seems to buy influence in Washington.”

“No y2, just apply the same standards for both parties.
You libs and the major media are quite well known for ignoring the same faults in Dems but screaming bloody murder if a Rep does the exact same thing.”

“Sotvey, this is not some media conspiracy, it's part of the problem of being the party in power. You put yourself up for leadership and hold positions of power and, deservedly so, because you have that power, you come under more scrutiny. DeLay would have done well to make sure he was cleaner thank clean, but at the very least it looks as though he cared little where the money was coming from.”

“Just apply the same standards for both parties.

Simple.”

“yeah, and they probably will do. When the democrats take back control of the house, as they will likely do at some point, their leader will come under the same scrutiny. When Hillary runs for President, all her actions will come under the spotlight. It needs to be done.”

“So what should happen to Delay if he's found guilty through an ethics violation SS?”

“Which party is in power does not excuse bad behavior for the minority party.

Just apply the same standards for both parties.”

“What law or Senate rule has Tom Delay violated? What I see is people claiming that he is getting "close to" violating some rule. Seems to me if he is being accused of getting "close to" he is still on the "ok" side of the line.

As for his trips being paid for by lobbyist, be careful. That's who pays for most of those democratic leaders trips also.
last edited: 5/11/05 1:10:24 PM”

“So what should happen to Delay if he's found guilty through an ethics violation? - y2

Whatever the usual punishments for these things are.”

“Let the chimps fall where they may.”

“Here’s a hypothetical for you StoveStomper:

Lets just say that the Gore-Lieberman Florida 2000 recount committee still owed more than $300,000 to a major law firm. The law firm didn’t seem too worried about collecting on the debt because, as a prominent Senator, Joe Lieberman is in a position to help them in their business dealings. Say that they just tell him to forget the debt.

Do you think that should be considered an ‘in-kind campaign contribution’ – a gift of goods or services that could improperly influence politicians? Do you think Gore-Lieberman should be forced to pay? Punished for not paying? Stripped of power?”

“I'm no lawyer, the courts do that kind of thing as well as one can expect.
LOL”

“V, I understand that your hypothetical wasn't addressed to me, but may I give my view.

As long as no laws were broken, and all legal and public, I would have no problems with it.”

“As a taxpayer, I think the netnanny ought to quit freeloading and cruising the 'net while he's at work... What's the name of that shipbuilding company again....?”

“LOL@tiltlypoo

Liberals just HATE free speech!
LOL
last edited: 5/11/05 1:52:25 PM”

“Sorry StoveStomper:


Mrs. Clinton Not at Fault, Prosecutor Tells Jury

LOS ANGELES, May 11 - Before Hillary Rodham Clinton's former chief fund-raiser went on trial here for underreporting donations to her Senate campaign, political speculation has revolved around what if anything Mrs. Clinton knew about his alleged transgressions, as well as what if anything the trial would do to her presidential aspirations (assuming she has them).

A federal prosecutor tried to answer at least one of those questions in his opening statement on Wednesday in Federal District Court, when he told the jury, "You will hear no evidence that Hillary Clinton was involved in any way, shape or form."

Indeed, the prosecutor, Peter R. Zeidenberg, said that the fund-raiser, David F. Rosen, tried to keep Mrs. Clinton's campaign from discovering how much money was donated to cover the costs of the star-studded event at the heart of this criminal case. The reason, Mr. Zeidenberg said, is that Mr. Rosen was afraid he would be fired if the campaign found out how much money he had spent on the August 2000 event, the Hollywood Gala Salute to President William Jefferson Clinton.

<snip>”

“She's not the one on trial...............yet.
LOL”

“If I was a skeptic, I might think the reason the judge said that was because he was appointed by Pres. Clinton.


Nahhh, that can't have anything to do with it.”

“The Prosecutor said it not a Judge.”

“Oops, you are right. I was thinking of similar statements made by the judge.

Damn I hate it when one of you liberals is right. Fortunately it doesn't happen very often.”

“Not reading what is written can contribute to that concept.”

“Hey, what's up with all the military bases closing?

I thought all conservatives supported the military? Maybe if they would have directed some of the 200 billion we have sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, some of these bases could have stayed open.

Well, Clinton closed a bunch too, so I guess we really can blame him for this one as well...I think...somehow.”

“The military base closings are a product of streamlining the armed forces. There is no reason to have as many bases as we have now, nor a need to have them located where they are. When I was a kid we used to play in a Nike missle site in New Richmond WI. That closed a long time ago. Not needed due to threat change and technology upgrades. Same thing is happening today.”

“http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/3190402

Prosecutor in probe of DeLay PAC raises funds for other side
DA's speech prompts calls for him to resign

By MICHAEL HEDGES
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

The Texas Republican Party called Thursday for Travis County prosecutor Ronnie Earle to resign after it was revealed that he spoke at a Democratic fund-raiser about an ongoing criminal probe involving U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay and three associates.

"Ronnie Earle's unabashed partisanship in speaking at a Texas Values in Action Coalition (TEXVAC) fund-raiser proves Earle's motivations have nothing to do with truth or justice, and everything to do with electing Democrats and attempting to bring down the most effective House majority leader in modern history," said Tina Benkiser, chairwoman of the Texas Republican Party. "He is tainted and he should resign," she said.

Lawyers for three men charged with fund-raising abuses involving DeLay's political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, were also incensed by Earle's fund-raising efforts. Two of the attorneys said they are considering motions to have Earle taken off the case.


Attorney weighs options
"It raises the issue of whether Mr. Earle should be removed from the case, or the case dismissed outright," said Joe Turner, representing John Colyandro, who was executive director of TRMPAC. "We already have a motion to dismiss under consideration in the case, and we'll wait to see how that goes before making any decisions."

On Thursday, the Houston Chronicle reported that Earle, an elected Democratic official, spoke May 12 at a Dallas fund-raiser for TEXVAC, a political action committee, raising $102,000.

During the speech he said, "This case is not just about Tom DeLay. If it isn't this Tom DeLay, it'll be another one, just like one bully replaces the one before. This is a structural problem involving the combination of money and power. Money brings power and power corrupts," according to a transcript he supplied to the Chronicle. Earle did not return calls for comment on Thursday.


Surprised by speech
But in an earlier interview, he denied any partisan motives in giving the speech, saying he would give the same talk to any group that invited him. DeLay, the House majority leader from Sugar Land, declined comment.

The TRMPAC investigation has resulted in charges against three DeLay associates, Colyandro, Jim Ellis and Warren RoBold. Asked Wednesday if DeLay was a target of the grand jury probe, Earle said, "We are investigating anybody who has committed a crime."

Lawyers for the officials charged in the TRMPAC case saw a political motive in Earle's investigation, especially after he referred to that case at the Dallas fund-raiser.

"I was really surprised that he did that," said Rusty Hardin, RoBold's attorney. "It fuels the perception that he is engaged in a partisan prosecution. We've contended all along that there was no reason to bring these charges. Hearing that he is talking about the case at a Democratic fund-raiser seems very unusual."


Interviews criticized
Ellis' lawyer, J.D. Pauerstein, said, "It is somewhat disconcerting for Mr. Ellis, facing these charges, to find the prosecutor actively working for Democratic interests." The attorney said he would await the decision in his pending motion to dismiss before deciding to file additional motions based on Earle's fund-raising speech.

Pauerstein said Earle's speech was part of a larger pattern in which the prosecutor has sought to make political gains from the case — including an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes during last year's election cycle and an interview with Esquire magazine.

Earle and DeLay traded shots in the 60 Minutes broadcast, with DeLay calling the Earle investigation "partisan" and "frivolous." Earle responded by saying, "Being called vindictive and partisan by Tom DeLay is like being called ugly by a frog."

In his May 12 speech, titled "Public Safety and the tone of Corruption in Government," Earle recounted some of his investigations of alleged public corruption. He also talked at length about the way money corrupts the political process.

"I found that pretty hypocritical," Turner said. "He said money and politics leads to corruption. He should have been looking in the mirror when he said that."

Among those attending the fund-raiser was former House Speaker Jim Wright, who was forced to resign from Congress in 1989 after the House Ethics Committee began investigating whether he improperly profited from a book publishing deal.”

“AUSTIN, Texas - The treasurer of a political action committee formed by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay broke the law by not reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, a judge ruled Thursday in a lawsuit brought by Democratic candidates.

State District Judge Joe Hart said the money, much of it corporate contributions, should have been reported to the Texas Ethics Commission.
[...]
Hart found that contributions of corporate and non-corporate money totaling $613,433 should have been reported by Ceverha, along with expenditures of $684,507.
[...]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050526/ap_on_go_co/delay_committee_lawsuit”

“Ha!

“I ... congratulate Congressman DeLay for switching the spotlight from his own problems to an episode of a TV show.””

“What a whiner!
Interestingly, I think the T.V. show made a valid point even if it violated right wing PC.”

“The guys a #&%!$.”

“A kitten/cat :-)
last edited: 5/27/05 8:45:21 PM”