Problems for DeLay's Buddies

“Republican Majority officials indicted in fund-raising investigation
Attorney says seven companies, three individuals named

By Laylan Copelin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, September 21, 2004


A Travis County grand jury on Tuesday indicted three top lieutenants of U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in connection with corporate money raised during the 2002 elections.

Indicted on one count of money laundering were John Colyandro, the executive director of Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee, and Jim Ellis, a former DeLay staff member now head of Americans for a Republican Majority, DeLay's national fund-raising political action committee.

Colyandro also was indicted on 14 counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution.

Warren Robold, DeLay's corporate fund-raiser, based in Washington, D.C., was indicted on 18 counts; nine of unlawful political contribution by a corporation and nine of accepting those contributions.

The money-laundering counts are first-degree felonies, punishable by up to life in prison; the rest are third-degree felonies, with a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Seven corporate donors and an alliance of nursing-home companies also were indicted.

The indictments came after almost two years of an investigation into Texans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee that DeLay created to elect a Republican majority in the Texas House of Representatives.

The scope and number of indictments stunned defense lawyers, who had expected only a handful of charges.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has scheduled a press conference for 2 p.m.

The first announcement of the indictments didn't come from Earle. Instead, Austin lawyer Steve Brittain, an attorney for DeLay, broke the news.

Brittain said he was surprised by the extent of the indictments, but defended what the political action committee did.

"All these people felt comfortable they were not violating the laws," he said. "We don't believe anyone intentionally violated the law."

Tuesday's indictments do not mark the end of the investigation. Another grand jury is expected to take up the inquiry into several other groups who allegedly used corporate money in the 2002 elections.

Texas for Public Justice, Common Cause and Public Citizen called on House Speaker Tom Craddick to step aside pending conclusion of the investigation.

Craig McDonald with Texans for Public Justice said Craddick raised money for the political action committee and distributed it.

"Craddick is at the center of all of this," he said. "If TRMPAC operatives broke the law, Craddick needs to step aside until we figure it out. If TRMPAC operatives are convicted, the House needs to elect a new speaker."

Craddick has denied any wrongdoing.

The money-laundering charges stem from an incident in which Colyandro sent Ellis, who is based in Washington, D.C., a blank check for the Republican National Committee. On Sept. 13, 2002, Ellis delivered a check for $190,000 in corporate money from the political action committee to the Republican National Committee. He also gave the committee a list of seven Texas candidates with suggested donation amounts. The candidates, including Austin's Todd Baxter and Jack Stick, received a total of $190,000 in noncorporate money. Neither Baxter nor Stick is accused of wrongdoing.

The alliance and companies indicted are: The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care (a group of 14 nursing home companies), The Williams Companies, Sears and Roebuck, Westar Energy, Bacardi USA, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Diversified Collection Services and Questerra Corp.

The nursing home alliance gave $50,000; Diversified Collection donated $50,000; Bacardi gave $20,000; the rest donated $25,000 each.

Following the Republican sweep of the 2002 elections, Earle began investigating allegations that Republicans and their business allies used unprecedented amounts of corporate cash to affect the elections.

State law generally prohibits using corporate or labor union money for political purposes except to pay for the administrative expenses of a political action committee.

Texans for a Republican Majority spent $1.5 million during the election, including $600,000 of corporate money that was spent on consultants, pollsters and phone banks. But lawyers for the political action committee argued that the money was spent for the benefit of the committee and not directly on behalf of candidates.”

“" Travis County grand jury on Tuesday indicted three top lieutenants of U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay......"

Geez, they make it sound like he works for the mob or something!”

“It's just a coincedence that they sound like the local representatives of La Cosa Nostra, I'm sure -- LMAO”

“I thought the GOP was grandfathered in to do those things.”

“Prescott We Hardly Knew Ye...”

“The sad thing is, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg of Texas politics, if you get my drift podner.”

“Geez, they make it sound like he works for the mob or something!"
laqtis
04:47:22 PM


Wonder if they will get the consigliere and at least one of the capos, too!”

“Liars and crooks?”

“You whiny, bleeding heart libs can't understand what it takes for a neo-con to run a scam like this. We neo-cons only do it for your own good. If it looks like we are ripping off the system, it's only because you are so emotional and filled with hate for America. So, please just let us run things the way our better judgement tells us to, crybaby.”

“those poor native americans got ripped too. in their zeal for supporting the PAC, two people received 4.5 million for essentially legalizing gambling for certain tribes in 5 states. Two things went wrong. 1. Tom Delay connections with the two people, and 2. nobody told the leaders of these tribes that they were being ripped for 4.5 million-(and guess where this money ended up) yup Republican PAC.”

“Things gettin' hot for Tommy.”

“(CBS/AP) Democrats sought election-year gain Thursday from Majority Leader Tom DeLay's latest brush with the House ethics committee, while the powerful Texas lawmaker drew widespread expressions of support from fellow Republicans.

Republicans must decide "do they want an ethically unfit person to be their majority leader, or do they want to remove the ethical cloud that hangs over the Capitol?" said California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader.

As Pelosi challenged the GOP, the Democrats' campaign committee attacked Connecticut Rep. Chris Shays, a prominent GOP moderate, for recently praising DeLay's performance as leader.

Despite the numerous Republican lawmakers who volunteered support for DeLay, there were murmurs of discontent within the Republican ranks.

"There's an evaluation underway ... as to whether now is the time for new leadership," said Rep. Zach Wamp of Tennessee, who quickly added that he believes support for Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., "transcends all this."

"Every now and then you have to go through re-evaluation and renewal," he added. Wamp said he was referring to a scheduled mid-November meeting at which GOP lawmakers will select their leaders for the Congress that convenes in 2005.

CBS News Correspondent Bob Orr reports it's unclear if the rebukes will keep DeLay from moving up to Speaker of the House. But the ethics charges are fueling partisan bickering.

Less than one month before Election Day, DeLay drew solid expressions of support from GOP leaders.

"Tom DeLay is a good man. He fights hard for what he believes, but he has never put personal interests ahead of the best interests of the country," Hastert said in a statement shortly after the ethics committee's latest action was announced Wednesday night.

In a letter to DeLay, the committee of five Republicans and five Democrats wrote: "In view of the number of instances to date on which the committee has found it necessary to comment on conduct in which you engaged, it is clearly necessary for you to temper your future actions" to assure full compliance with the rules.

Yet Republican aides said any concern about DeLay was mixed with gratitude for his efforts to extend the GOP majority. That is particularly the case, they said, since he engineered a bitterly contested mid-decade redistricting of Texas congressional seats that Republicans hope can translate into a gain of as many as seven seats on Election Day.

An unflinching conservative, DeLay rose to power in 1994, when Republicans gained a majority and he defeated a rival backed by party leader Newt Gingrich to become whip. Over time, he built a reputation as impervious to criticism and able to count — and deliver — votes on difficult bills in a House increasingly divided along party lines.

At the same time, he built a formidable fund-raising operation that aided Republican candidates and helped expand his power base when they won office.

He moved up to majority leader two years ago when the spot became vacant. And while he has rivals within the party, he has long been viewed by many as Hastert's likeliest successor when the speaker steps down.

DeLay depicted the ethics committee's latest letter as something akin to exoneration. He told reporters he was "very pleased that the ethics committee and the honorable people who serve on the ethics committee have dismissed the frivolous charges brought against me and that's it."

Privately, he convened a meeting of key supporters in his office Wednesday evening after learning of the committee's actions, and reached out to other members of the rank and file during the day to counter descriptions of the report as a condemnation.

The committee wrote that DeLay "created an appearance" of favoritism when he mingled at a 2003 golf outing with an energy company's executives days after they contributed to a political organization associated with him. Westar Energy was seeking help with legislation that was then at a critical stage of House-Senate negotiations.

The committee made clear DeLay did not solicit contributions from Westar in return for a favor — an act that would have been far more serious.

DeLay also raised "serious concerns," the panel said, by contacting the Federal Aviation Administration to help locate Texas Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state in an effort to prevent the GOP-controlled legislature from passing a redistricting plan.

On a third allegation, that DeLay violated Texas campaign finance rules, the panel delayed action pending completion of an investigation by state authorities. A county grand jury in Texas has indicted three political operatives with ties to DeLay in the case, but no charges have been filed against the majority leader.

Last week, in a separate case, the ethics committee admonished DeLay for offering to support the House candidacy of a Michigan lawmaker's son in return for the lawmaker's vote for a Medicare prescription drug benefit.”

“I think if he's convicted, he becomes a liberal. Isn't that how it works Stovie???”

“A six-day trip to Moscow in 1997 by then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) was underwritten by business interests lobbying in support of the Russian government, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the trip arrangements.

DeLay reported that the trip was sponsored by a Washington-based nonprofit organization. But interviews with those involved in planning DeLay's trip say the expenses were covered by a mysterious company registered in the Bahamas that also paid for an intensive $440,000 lobbying campaign.

It is unclear precisely how the money was transferred from the Bahamian-registered company to the nonprofit.

The expense-paid trip by DeLay and four of his staff members cost $57,238, according to records filed by his office. During his six days in Moscow, he played golf, met with Russian church leaders and talked to Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, a friend of Russian oil and gas executives associated with the lobbying effort.

DeLay also dined with the Russian executives and two Washington-based registered lobbyists for the Bahamian-registered company, sources say. One of those lobbyists was Jack Abramoff, who is now at the center of a federal influence-peddling and corruption probe related to his representation of Indian tribes.

House members bear some responsibility to ensure that the sponsors for their travel are not masquerading for registered lobbyists or foreign government interests, legal experts say. House ethics rules bar the acceptance of travel reimbursement from registered lobbyists and foreign agents.

continued...”

“WASHINGTON, April 5 - The wife and daughter of Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, have been paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by Mr. DeLay's political action and campaign committees, according to a detailed review of disclosure statements filed with the Federal Election Commission and separate fund-raising records in Mr. DeLay's home state, Texas.

Most of the payments to his wife, Christine A. DeLay, and his only child, Dani DeLay Ferro, were described in the disclosure forms as "fund-raising fees," "campaign management" or "payroll," with no additional details about how they earned the money. The payments appear to reflect what Mr. DeLay's aides say is the central role played by the majority leader's wife and daughter in his political career.

continued...”

“....of course not.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20050405-09022300-bc-us-pelosi.xml

Pelosi aide trip paid for mostly by donor
WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- A staff member of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi reportedly took a fact-finding trip to Spain paid for by a group that Pelosi helped get grants.


Lara Levinson, Pelosi's transportation adviser, took a trip to Spain to learn about hydrogen-fuel cells for buses last year and the nine-day trip was primarily paid for by WestStart-CALSTART, The Washington Times reported Tuesday.

Before the trip, Pelosi, D-Calif., helped the group win a $1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration and, after the trip, the group issued a news release thanking Pelosi for a $2 million grant, the newspaper said.

A spokeswoman for Pelosi said Levinson's trip was within House rules and campaign-watchdog groups say rules were not broken, the Times reported.

The Times also said WestStart-CALSTART Executive Officer John Boesel gave $1,000 to one of Pelosi's political action committees. Boesel said Pelosi had supported his group's projects for several years and he made donations to campaigns from both political parties.

The allegations are similar to ones made recently against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

The Times quoted an unnamed Republican lawmaker as saying, "I think the minority leader ought to be subject to the same type of scrutiny as other members."”

“If Pelosi broke the law, then she should be subject to whatever the law has in store for that particular offense. Frankly, I wish there was a law against threatening the judiciary. I'd love to see old Tom hit the floor with a thud!”

“".....I heard that honky holler as he hit the bar room floor...."”

“From your own story SS:

"A spokeswoman for Pelosi said Levinson's trip was within House rules and campaign-watchdog groups say rules were not broken, the Times reported."”

“KEYWORD SEARCH: RUSSIA & TOM DELAY

"The United States of America cannot have one of its top congressional leaders taking money from people advocating for Russian military-intelligence and defense interests as part of a lobbying deal. It simply cannot. It is unacceptable for a critical leader in the U.S. government to be taken on a junket by groups working for foreign military interests or lobbying on their behalf, even if indirectly and without his knowledge. He should have known..."”

“I hadn't heard about this before, but read it in the paper this morning. "The Hammer" allegedly tried to bribe Sen. Nick Smith (R-MI) by offering to endorse his son Brad for Congress in exchange for Smith's vote on a Medicare bill DeLay wanted passed.
last edited: 4/07/05 9:57:57 AM”

“Dang treebeard... I do my best to keep you informed: http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/27484,-1.php”

“I know, V! But, that one got away from me.

Maybe it was the day I was kidnapped by those little green repugnicans!”

“You were prolly busy pulling staples out of your hide.”

“That's not funny! They hurt!”

“Hey violin, here's some real news about your next governor.
http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/37542,3.php
LOL”

“A politician put his foot in his mouth? How novel?

And I thought threatening the judiciary of the U.S. was bad! wow!
last edited: 4/07/05 10:16:58 AM”

“Something about a portion of my phone bill going to keep bought politicians bought rubs me the wrong way.

How about you?

http://www.dropthehammer.org/”

“[...]
DeLay and his aides have said repeatedly they were unaware of Abramoff's behind-the-scenes financing role. "Those S.O.B.s," Abramoff said last week about DeLay and his staffers, according to his luncheon companion. "DeLay knew everything. He knew all the details."
[...]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7446492/site/newsweek/”

“DeLay begins to feel heat from fellow Republicans

WASHINGTON — Private GOP tensions over Tom DeLay's ethics controversy spilled into public yesterday, as a Senate leader called on DeLay to explain his actions and one House Republican demanded the majority leader's resignation.

Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election," Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn., told The Associated Press in an interview, calling for DeLay to step down as majority leader.

DeLay, R-Texas, who was admonished by the House Ethics Committee last year, has been dogged in recent months by new reports about his overseas travel funded by special interests, campaign payments to family members and connections to a lobbyist who is under criminal investigation.

Shays, a moderate Republican from Connecticut, said efforts by the House GOP members to change ethics rules to protect DeLay only make the party look bad.

"My party is going to have to decide whether we are going to continue to make excuses for Tom to the detriment of Republicans seeking election," he said.

Sen. Rick Santorum, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said yesterday that DeLay needs to explain his conduct to the public.
[...]”

“The writing on the wall from the Wall Street Journal:

...Mr. DeLay, who rode to power in 1994 on a wave of revulsion at the everyday ways of big government, has become the living exemplar of some of its worst habits... Whether Mr. DeLay violated the small print of House Ethics or campaign-finance rules is thus largely beside the point. His real fault lies in betraying the broader set of principles that brought him into office, and which, if he continues as before, sooner or later will sweep him out.”

“I hear through the grapevine that lots of Democrats have been found to have done the exact same thing as Delay only to a greater extent.

I didn't hear it on trail talk. I don't see it on CBS, NBC, or ABC. Neither will you.

Trial by media. Guilty before charged or not a Democrat.”

“Sorry bbw. When even Newt Gingrich says you've got problems... you've got problems.


"DeLay's problem isn’t with the Democrats; DeLay's problem is with the country"”