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HavenWorks.com/people/a-z/d/delay-tom - Tom DeLay News |
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 2002
Election
 Jack
Abramoff
 Edwin
Buckham
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Search Tom DeLay News: News Search <Tom DeLay> in: <Tom DeLay News> in: Search Google: Search Tom DeLay People: Search Tom DeLay Travel: Search Tom DeLay Miscellany: <Tom DeLay "I am the federal government.">
Tom
DeLay |
Tom
DeLay
- 
Texas
- 
Money
- 
Politics
- Jack
Abramoff
- Edwin
Buckham
- "Lobbying
Probe Looks at Payments To DeLay's Wife." ... "The
Justice Department's congressional lobbying-and-bribery investigation is
looking into whether former House Majority Leader [Texas Republican] Tom
DeLay's wife received money from a lobbying firm for a no-show job, recent
FBI interviews indicate." ... "The two-year investigation is examining
whether lobbyist Jack Abramoff and others sought legislative favors for
their clients by offering expensive meals, sports tickets, golf outings
and other gifts to about a dozen lawmakers and congressional aides." ...
"In the last few weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have interviewed
several people at the Alexander Strategy Group lobbying firm to determine
if Christine DeLay was being paid $3,200 a month -- a total of $115,000
over three years -- but not earning it." ... "Alexander Strategy was run
by a pair of Mr. DeLay's former aides: Tony Rudy, who pleaded guilty to
bribery charges in March; and Edwin Buckham, who remains under investigation.
The firm also shared clients with Jack Abramoff." -By
Brody Mullins -WSJ.com
Tom
DeLay
- Texas
- 
Virginia
- Politics
- Antonin
Scalia
- Election
2006 - "DeLay
on ballot but says he will not run: Texas Republican
Party plans to put forward write-in candidate." ... "Former Rep. Tom DeLay
said on Tuesday he will not run for re-election despite having his name
listed on the ballot in his Texas congressional district." ... "Monday,
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia denied the Texas Republican Party's
emergency request to block a lower court ruling that keeps DeLay's name
on the November general election ballot for the state's vacant 22nd Congressional
District seat." ... "In an effort to keep his seat in Republican hands,
DeLay announced that he was changing his legal residence to Virginia --
a move he said would disqualify him from November's race and allow the
GOP to pick a new nominee." ... "But the district judge, Sam Sparks, ruled
that DeLay in effect withdrew from the race, and Texas law prohibits the
party from replacing a candidate under those circumstances." -By
Dana Bash -CNN
Texas
- Money
- Abramoff- Ralph
Reed
- 
Georgia
- DeLay
- Ney
- 
Ohio
- Politics
- "Texas
Tribe Names Abramoff, Reed in Suit." ... "A Texas
Indian tribe filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging that ex-lobbyist
Jack Abramoff, former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed [Republican
running for Lt. Governor in Georgia] and their associates engaged in fraud
and racketeering to shut down the tribe's casino." ... "The Alabama-Coushatta
tribe of Livingston, Texas, alleged the defendants defrauded the tribe,
the people of Texas and the Legislature to benefit another of Abramoff's
clients _ the Louisiana Coushatta tribe _ and "line their pockets with
money."" ... "The lawsuit also names Abramoff's ex-business partner Michael
Scanlon, a former aide to former Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas; Neil Volz, a
former aide to Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio; and Jon Van Horne, Abramoff's former
colleague at his law and lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig." ... "Abramoff,
Scanlon and Volz have pleaded guilty in a public corruption probe involving
Abramoff's former tribal clients and possibly members of Congress. The
Alabama-Coushatta never hired Abramoff." (1, 2)
-By Suzanne Gamboa -AP
via -WashingtonPost
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Politics
- 2006
Election - "Judge's
ruling keeps DeLay on ballot." ... "A federal judge
ruled today that Republicans cannot replace former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay
on the ballot for the 22nd Congressional District race." ... "U.S. District
Judge Sam Sparks, a Republican appointee, ruled that DeLay must appear
on the Nov. 7 ballot as the GOP nominee for the congressional seat that
he abandoned last month." ... "Sparks said DeLay could "withdraw'' from
the race under Texas election law, but that still would not allow the Republicans
to replace him on the ballot." ... "If the Republicans lose on appeal,
DeLay will have to decide whether to campaign for an office from which
he already has resigned." -By R.G. Ratcliffe
-HoustonChronicle.com
Political
- 
Map
- 
People
- Texas
- DeLay
- "Justices
Back Most G.O.P. Changes to Texas Districts." ...
"The Supreme Court today upheld the basic outlines of a Republican Congressional
redistricting plan in Texas, refusing to toss out a sharply contested political
map engineered by the former House majority leader, Tom DeLay." ... "The
court handed a smaller victory to the Democratic plaintiffs in the case,
ruling that one Congressional district in southwestern Texas had been drawn
in a way that violated the rights of Hispanic voters there." ... "But the
court rejected the larger premise — that Texas Republicans had unconstitutionally
reorganized the political map to solidify their majority in Congress. The
decision means that Texas will be required to adjust some boundaries."
... "The court upheld the state's ability to break with the tradition of
redrawing Congressional districts only right after the official federal
census every 10 years, potentially opening the door for legislatures in
other states to rewrite their own Congressional maps at will throughout
the decade, or when a new party takes over a state capital." -By
Anne E. Kornblut and John O'Neil -NYTimes
David
Safavian
- Abramoff
- 
Government
- Money
- Politics
- Bob
Ney
- Ohio
- Tom
DeLay
- Texas
- "Former
Bush official convicted of lying about ties to Abramoff."
... "A federal jury convicted a former Bush administration official Tuesday
of lying about his relationship with a high-powered Washington lobbyist
who's at the center of a broadening investigation into influence-peddling
on Capitol Hill." ... "David Safavian, former chief of staff of the General
Services Administration, the federal government's procurement agency, was
found guilty of four charges of making false statements and misleading
investigators who were looking into Jack Abramoff's dealings with other
public officials and lobbyists." ... "Four other former Abramoff associates,
including a former chief of staff for Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and two former
aides to former Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, have pleaded guilty in the scandal.
Ney and DeLay have denied any wrongdoing." ... "Neil Volz, Ney's former
chief of staff, pleaded guilty in May to conspiring with Abramoff. Former
DeLay aides Michael Scanlon and Tony Rudy have pleaded guilty to committing
fraud and violating the federal one-year lobbying ban. Volz testified on
behalf of the government during Safavian's trial." -By
Marisa Taylor -KnightRidder
via -RealCities
Tom
DeLay
- Jack
Abramoff
- Edwin
Buckham
- Money
- Politics
- Texas
- "Retirement
Account of DeLay's Wife Traced: With Disclosure,
Family's Known Benefits From Ties With Lobbyist Exceed $490,000." ... "A
registered lobbyist opened a retirement account in the late 1990s for the
wife of then-House Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and contributed thousands of
dollars to it while also paying her a salary to work for him from her home
in Texas, according to sources, documents and DeLay's attorney, Richard
Cullen." ... "The account represents a small portion of the income that
DeLay's family received from entities at least partly controlled by lobbyist
Edwin A. Buckham. But the disclosure of its origin adds to what was previously
known about the benefits DeLay's family received from its association with
Buckham, and it brings the total over the past seven years to about half
a million dollars." ... "Buckham was DeLay's chief of staff before he became
a lobbyist at the end of 1998, shortly before the account was opened and
the flow of funds began. He has come under scrutiny from federal investigators
because his lobbying firm received hundreds of thousands of dollars in
revenue from clients of indicted Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff." ...
"Buckham's financial ties to DeLay's family -- and the retirement account
in particular -- have recently attracted the interest of FBI agents and
others in the federal task force probing public corruption by lawmakers
and lobbyists, according to a source who was questioned in the course of
the government's investigation." (1, 2)
-By R. Jeffrey Smith with contributions by Derek Willis,
Madonna Lebling, and Lucy Shackelford -WashingtonPost
Jack
Abramoff
- Political
- Money
- Bob
Ney
- Ohio
- Tom
DeLay
- Texas
- "Ney's
Former Aide Volz Pleads Guilty in Abramoff Case (Update2)."
... "Neil Volz, former chief of staff to U.S. Representative Bob Ney, pleaded
guilty in the corruption scandal surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff." ...
"The agreement may increase the pressure on Ney, an Ohio Republican who
accompanied Abramoff on a golf trip to Scotland in 2002. Papers filed as
part of Volz's plea and three others in the Abramoff case referred to ``things
of value'' Ney accepted from Abramoff and his team. Ney has denied wrongdoing."
... "Ney, 51, cited the allegations surrounding him in the Abramoff case
when he temporarily stepped down in January from his post as chairman of
the House Administration Committee, which oversees federal elections and
day-to-day House functions such as assigning parking places." ... "Abramoff,
47, was one of Washington's best-connected lobbyists and a major fundraiser
for the Republican Party and President George W. Bush. Before his downfall,
Abramoff's ties extended into the Bush administration and throughout Congress
to the office of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican
who on April 4 announced he will resign from Congress." -By
Kristin Jensen and Michael Forsythe -Bloomberg
Tom
DeLay - Jack
Abramoff
- Religion
- 
Family
- 
Law
- Politics
- Texas
- "Former
DeLay Aide Enriched By Nonprofit: Bulk of Group's
Funds Tied to Abramoff." ... "A top adviser to former House Whip Tom DeLay
[Texas Republican] received more than a third of all the money collected
by the U.S. Family Network, a nonprofit organization the adviser created
to promote a pro-family political agenda in Congress, according to the
group's accounting records." ... "DeLay's former chief of staff, Edwin
A. Buckham, who helped create the group while still in DeLay's employ,
and his wife, Wendy, were the principal beneficiaries of the group's $3.02
million in revenue, collecting payments totaling $1,022,729 during a five-year
period ending in 2001, public and private records show." ... "The group's
revenue was drawn mostly from clients of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff,
according to its records." ... ""If an individual called DeLay's appointments
secretary saying they wanted to talk to DeLay about overregulation, the
appointment secretary would say go speak to Buckham," one former aide said.
Buckham, an evangelical minister, also continued to serve as DeLay's spiritual
adviser and prayed frequently with him, the former aides said." (1, 2,
3,
4)
Graphic:
"Where
the Money Went." -By R. Jeffrey Smith with
contributions by Lucy Shackelford, Alice Crites and Madonna Lebling, Derek
Willis, and James V. Grimaldi -WashingtonPost
US
- 
Russia
- 
Military
- 
Energy
- Politics
- Business
- Jack
Abramoff
- Tom
DeLay
- "Abramoff
ties to Russians probed: US inquiry widens to energy
concerns." ... "The federal investigation into the lobbying activities
of Jack Abramoff has broadened to examine his dealings with the Russian
government and a pair of high-profile Russian energy company executives,
according to documents made available to the Globe." ... "The subpoena
seeks information about ties between Abramoff-related groups and a Moscow
energy giant that is called Naftasib, a major supplier to the Russian military."
... "Investigators have asked for any information about Abramoff's dealings
with two top Naftasib executives, Alexander Koulakovsky and Marina Nevskaya.
Senior Naftasib executives helped arrange a trip Abramoff took to Moscow
in 1997 with former House majority leader Tom DeLay, a longtime Abramoff
friend." -By Michael Kranish
-Boston/Globe
Abramoff
- 
Pombo
- 
DeLay
- Texas
- 
California
- Animal
- 
Environmental
- Legislation
- Money
- "Foe
of Endangered Species Act on Defensive Over Abramoff."
... "After finally getting a bill through the House last fall that would
eliminate habitat protections on more than 150 million acres, [California
Republican Richard] Pombo has never been closer to reaching his goal. But
as the Senate prepares to take up his measure this year, Pombo finds himself
on the defensive, with his ideology increasingly viewed as extreme and
his connections to industry and to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff under
scrutiny." ... "Pombo's critics have focused on his campaign's reliance
on donors from industries that stand to benefit from his legislation. Just
months before the mining proposal made it out of Pombo's committee, a former
committee aide who once worked for Abramoff's firm and is now a lobbyist
for mining interests hosted a $1,000-a-head fundraiser for Pombo." ...
"The Times reported earlier this year that Pombo joined forces with former
House Majority Leader [Republican] Tom DeLay of Texas in efforts to squelch
a federal banking investigation of Texas financier Charles Hurwitz. Pombo,
who had previously received a campaign contribution from Hurwitz, has contended
that the investigation was unfounded and abusive." ... "A Massachusetts
tribe and client of Abramoff's that donated $20,000 to Pombo received the
congressman's help seeking federal tribal recognition. Pombo supported
the resumption of commercial whaling while accepting thousands of dollars
in international travel from a private foundation funded by the seafood
industry and a whaling association." ... "According to data compiled by
the Campaign Finance Analysis Project, Pombo has, during his congressional
career, collected more than $800,000 from agriculture, timber and fishing
interests. The building industry has given him $205,000; oil and gas, $169,000;
mining, $55,000; and casinos and gambling, $147,000." ... "Pombo denies
any improprieties and says he has no fear of being tainted by the Abramoff
scandal. "I met the guy a few times. He never lobbied me on anything. Never
set foot in my office." -By Bettina Boxall with contributions
by Maloy Moore -LAtimes
Tom
DeLay- Jack
Abramoff
- Money
- 
Missouri
- Ohio
- "Blunt,
Boehner Share Broad Network of Lobbyist Ties With DeLay."
... "Representatives Roy Blunt of Missouri and John Boehner of Ohio have
been among the key intermediaries between Republican lawmakers and lobbyists
since their party took control of the U.S. Congress in 1995." ... "Both
[Blunt and DeLay] men's political action committees employ Jim Ellis, who
was indicted along with DeLay. DeLay's PAC gave Blunt's committee a $150,000
donation in 2000, and Blunt's PAC gave $10,000 to DeLay's non-profit foundation
that same year. Both lawmakers' PACs have employed Alexander Strategy Group,
a Georgetown-based firm whose partners include former Abramoff and DeLay
associates." ... "In 1995, Boehner handed out campaign checks from the
tobacco industry to members on the House floor at a time when lawmakers
were considering eliminating a tobacco subsidy." -By
Laura Litvan -Bloomberg
DeLay
- 
Doolittle
- Pombo
- Government
- Money
- Law
- 
Enforcement
- Texas
- California
- "A
Donor Who Had Big Allies: DeLay and two others helped
put the brakes on a federal probe of a businessman. Evidence was published
in the Congressional Record." ... "In a case that echoes the Jack Abramoff
influence-peddling scandal, two Northern California Republican congressmen
used their official positions to try to stop a federal investigation of
a wealthy Texas businessman who provided them with political contributions."
... "Reps. John T. Doolittle [California Republican] and Richard W. Pombo
[California Republican] joined forces with former House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay [Republican] of Texas to oppose an investigation by federal banking
regulators into the affairs of Houston millionaire Charles Hurwitz, documents
recently obtained by The Times show. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
was seeking $300 million from Hurwitz for his role in the collapse of a
Texas savings and loan that cost taxpayers $1.6 billion." ... "The investigation
was ultimately dropped." ... "The effort to help Hurwitz began in 1999
when DeLay wrote a letter to the chairman of the FDIC denouncing the investigation
of Hurwitz as a "form of harassment and deceit on the part of government
employees." When the FDIC persisted, Doolittle and Pombo — both considered
proteges of DeLay — used their power as members of the House Resources
Committee to subpoena the agency's confidential records on the case, including
details of the evidence FDIC investigators had compiled on Hurwitz." ...
"Then, in 2001, the two congressmen inserted many of the sensitive documents
into the Congressional Record, making them public and accessible to Hurwitz's
lawyers, a move that FDIC officials said damaged the government's ability
to pursue the banker." ... "The FDIC's chief spokesman characterized what
Doolittle and Pombo did as "a seamy abuse of the legislative process."
But soon afterward, in 2002, the FDIC dropped its case against Hurwitz,
who had owned a controlling interest in the United Savings Assn. of Texas.
United Savings' failure was one of the worst of the S&L debacles in
the 1980s." (1, 2,
3)
-By Richard A. Serrano and Stephen Braun, with contributions
by Ted Rohrlich -LAtimes
Tom
DeLay
- Texas
- Finance
- Law
- Jack
Abramoff
- "DeLay
abandons bid to remain House leader." ... "Embattled
Rep. Tom DeLay on Saturday abandoned his bid to remain as House majority
leader, clearing the way for leadership elections among Republicans eager
to shed the taint of scandal." ... "DeLay is battling campaign finance
charges in Texas and was forced to step aside temporarily as majority leader
last fall after he was charged in his home state. He has been trying to
clear his name and, until Saturday, resume his leadership role." ... "DeLay's
about-face came amid growing pressure from fellow Republicans who were
concerned about their own political futures in the wake of this past week's
guilty pleas by lobbyist Jack Abramoff." -By David
Espo -AP via
-BostonGlobe
Tom
DeLay
- Money
- Politics
- Jack
Abramoff
- Randy
Cunningham
- "`DeLay
Inc.' Lobbying Firm Has Links to Three Capital Scandals."
... "Representative Tom DeLay's campaign to get Republicans to dominate
Washington lobbying may have worked too well for Alexander Strategy Group."
... "The firm has links to no fewer than three of the scandals convulsing
the U.S. capital. One partner, former DeLay aide Tony Rudy, is now a focus
of a federal investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The group's founder,
former DeLay chief of staff Ed Buckham, set up a South Korea junket for
his old boss that violated ethics rules. And the firm represents a company
whose owner, prosecutors allege, bribed former Representative Randy Cunningham."
... "Alexander Strategy's links to lawmakers are an outgrowth of a decade-long
effort by DeLay, 58, to force lobbying firms to hire more Republicans,
who can direct corporate money to the party. The system, known as ``DeLay
Inc.'' or ``the K Street Project,'' has fueled a surge of money in politics,
and critics say it has also created the potential for greater corruption."
-By Michael Forsythe -Bloomberg
Texas
- Tom
DeLay - Political
- Maps
- 2004
Election - "Supreme
Court to rule on Texas poll maps case." ... "The
US Supreme Court said on Monday it would rule on controversial maps for
electoral districts in Texas that were engineered by Tom DeLay, the former
majority leader in the House of Representatives, to increase Republican
strength in Congress." ... "The new maps, drawn in 2003, played a key role
in the 2004 congressional elections, when five incumbent Democrats in Texas
lost their seats in the House, boosting Republicans' majority on Capitol
Hill and enhancing Mr DeLay's image as a powerful political force." ...
"The high court review is also likely to draw fresh attention to recent
disclosures that staff attorneys at the US Department of Justice objected
to the Texas maps, arguing that they would disadvantage minority voters.
Those criticisms were over-ruled by senior political appointees at the
department." -By Holly Yeager
-FT.com
Bill
Frist
- Rick
Santorum - Tom
DeLay
- 
Medical
- Law
- "Terri
Schiavo's widower takes aim at politicians." ...
"Terri Schiavo's widower launched a political action committee on Wednesday
aimed at defeating elected officials he accused of exploiting a tragedy
for political gain by trying to block court orders that allowed his brain-damaged
wife to die." ... "Michael Schiavo said in a news release that the group,
TerriPAC, would raise money to campaign against members of Congress, mostly
Republicans, who drafted and voted for legislation to intervene in the
case." ... "Among Republicans it is targeting are Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist of Tennessee, Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Rep. Tom
DeLay of Texas." -By Jane Sutton
-Reuters
Tom
DeLay
- Texas
- Political
- Money
- "Judge
Upholds Most Serious Charges Against DeLay." ...
"A judge in Texas today dismissed part of a state indictment against Representative
Tom DeLay, who was forced out of his post as leader of the Republican majority
in the House two months ago after he was charged with conspiracy and political
fund-raising abuses." ... "Judge Pat Priest dropped conspiracy from Mr.
DeLay's indictment, but let stand for trial the more serious accusation
of money-laundering." ... "The judge said Mr. DeLay could not be prosecuted
on the charge of conspiracy to violate the state election code because
the applicable law did not take effect until Sept. 1, 2003, and the illegal
activity alleged by prosecutors occurred in 2002." -By
David Stout with contributions by Mark J. Prendergast and Shadi Rahimi
-NYTimes
Ohio
- Texas
- 
Montana
- California
- Jack
Abramoff
- Tom
DeLay
- Political
- Business
- "Corruption
probe swells in Congress, lawyers say." ... "Justice
Department prosecutors investigating former lobbyist Jack Abramoff are
beginning to move on evidence pointing to possible corruption in Congress
and executive-branch agencies, lawyers involved in the case said." ...
"Prosecutors have told one lawmaker, Rep. Robert Ney, R-Ohio, and his former
chief of staff that they are preparing a possible bribery case against
them, according to two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity."
... "Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican now facing
separate campaign-finance charges in his home state, is one of the members
under scrutiny, the sources said. Others include Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont.
[Montana], Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif. [California], and several other
members of Congress involved with Indian affairs, one of Abramoff's key
areas of interest." -By Susan Schmidt and James V.
Grimaldi -WashingtonPost
via -SeattleTimes.NWsource
Tom
DeLay
- Money
- Politics
- "Former
DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty." ... "Michael Scanlon,
a former partner to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring
to bribe public officials, a charge growing out of the government investigation
of attempts to defraud Indian tribes and corrupt a member of Congress."
... "Scanlon, a former aide to Rep. Tom DeLay, entered the plea before
U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle and agreed to pay restitution totaling
more than $19 million to the tribes." -AP
via -CBSNews
Texas
- Austin
- Tom
DeLay - Law
- "DeLay
Succeeds in Having Judge Removed." ... "Former House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay won the first skirmish in his conspiracy and
money laundering case today when a Texas judge was removed from presiding
over the trial after DeLay's attorneys showed he has been a significant
financial contributor to Democratic causes." ... "District Judge Robert
Perkins of Travis County, Texas, was removed at the close of a hearing
in the state capital in Austin when a separate Texas district judge, brought
out of retirement, ruled that Perkins' history of making 34 donations in
the
last five years to Democratic candidates and organizations suggested he
would not be impartial in hearing the trial of the Republican member of
Congress." -By Richard A. Serrano
-LAtimes
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Politics
- "DeLay
acknowledges failure to report money." ... "Rep.
Tom DeLay has notified House officials that he failed to disclose all contributions
to his legal defense fund as required by congressional rules." ... "The
fund is currently paying DeLay's legal bills in a campaign finance investigation
in Texas, where DeLay has been indicted, and in a federal investigation
of Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The lobbyist arranged foreign travel
for DeLay and had his clients pay some of the cost." ... "DeLay, R-Texas,
has denied wrongdoing in both cases." -AP
via -USATODAY
Texas
- Austin
- Tom
DeLay - Politics
- "DeLay's
co-defendants denounce prosecutor as ruthless, vindictive."
... "Tom DeLay's co-defendants broke months of silence Thursday with a
show of solidarity and accusations of a smear campaign by an Austin prosecutor
[Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle], a volley launched just
as DeLay was booked on a campaign-finance charge." ... "Earle has charged
the DeLay aides with violating the state ban on corporate campaign money,
alleging they tried to circumvent the ban by sending $190,000 from TRMPAC
to the Republican National Committee with a list of Texas legislative candidates
who should get an equal sum. Two weeks later, seven candidates got checks
from a national GOP account totaling $190,000." -By
Todd J. Gillman -DallasNews.com
via -MercuryNews
Texas
- Austin
- Tom
DeLay - Politics
- "DeLay
Booked in Houston on Charges." ... "Rep. Tom DeLay
turned himself in Thursday at the sheriff's office and was fingerprinted,
photographed and released on $10,000 bail on conspiracy and money-laundering
charges." ... "Accompanied by his attorney, Dick DeGuerin, the former House
majority leader showed up about midday, appeared before a judge and was
gone in less than 30 minutes, sheriff's Lt. John Martin said." ... "The
Texas Republican is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday
in Austin." -By Michael Graczyk
-AP via -SFGate.com
Texas
- Tom
DeLay - Politics
- "DeLay
Puts Legal Fate in Democrat's Hands." ... "Republican
Rep. Tom DeLay's fate could hinge on a Stetson-wearing defense attorney
who not only represented Waco cult leader David Koresh and helped a cross-dressing
millionaire beat a murder rap, but is also a Democrat." ... "Why did Dick
DeGuerin agree to represent one of the most fiercely partisan figures on
Capitol Hill, a man who was House majority leader until his indictment
on money laundering and conspiracy charges?" ... ""I don't think there's
anybody who needed me worse," said DeGuerin, who will accompany DeLay to
his first court appearance Friday." ... "DeLay has been charged with illegally
funneling corporate donations to 2002 candidates for the Texas Legislature.
Texas law generally prohibits the use of corporate money for campaigning."
(1, 2)
-By Suzanne Gamboa -AP
via-WashingtonPost
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Political
- Business
- "Texas
Court Issues Warrant for DeLay." ... "A Texas court
Wednesday issued a warrant for Rep. Tom DeLay, ordering him to appear at
the Fort Bend County jail for booking on state conspiracy and money laundering
charges." ... "Two grand juries have charged DeLay and two political associates
in an alleged scheme to violate state election law, by funneling corporate
donations to candidates for the Texas Legislature. State law prohibits
use of corporate donations to finance state campaigns, although the money
can be used for administrative expenses." -By Suzanne
Gamboa -AP
via -WashingtonPost
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Missouri
- Business
- Secrets
- "DeLay
and successor Blunt swapped donations between secretive groups."
... "Tom DeLay deliberately raised more money than he needed to throw parties
at the 2000 presidential convention, then diverted some of the excess to
longtime ally [Missouri Republican] Roy Blunt through a series of donations
that benefited both men's causes." ... "When the financial carousel stopped,
DeLay's private charity, the consulting firm that employed DeLay's wife
and the Missouri campaign of Blunt's son [Missouri's governor] all ended
up with money, according to campaign documents reviewed by The Associated
Press." ... "The government's former chief election enforcement lawyer
said the Blunt and DeLay transactions are similar to the Texas case and
raise questions that should be investigated regarding whether donors were
deceived or the true destination of their money was concealed." -By
John Solomon and Sharon Theimer with contributions by David Lieb
-AP via -MercuryNews
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Business
- Politics
- "DeLay
Is Indicted Again; Charges Are Graver: The former
House majority leader faces money-laundering counts." ... "Six days after
Rep. Tom DeLay's indictment on conspiracy charges, a new Texas grand jury
issued another indictment Monday charging him with the far more serious
crime of money-laundering — a first-degree felony that could bring a lengthy
prison term." ... "Under the internal rules of the Republican Party, the
conspiracy indictment had forced the Texas congressman to step down from
his position as House majority leader. That charge, a fourth-degree felony
punishable by a state prison term of two years, came after a wide-ranging
probe into allegations that DeLay and his lieutenants had hijacked Texas
elections by illegally funneling corporate money into the bank accounts
of Republican state candidates." -By Scott Gold
-LAtimes
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Business
- Politics
- "DeLay
Conspiracy Charge Uses Uncommon Law." ... "[Tom]
DeLay was first charged with conspiracy to violate the [Texas] state election
code, which bans the direct use of corporate money for political campaigns."
... "His lawyers filed court papers Monday attacking that charge on technical
grounds. Hours later, a new grand jury brought an indictment against DeLay
that included one count of conspiracy to launder money and one count of
money laundering." ... "[District Attorney Ronnie] Earle's office said
prosecutors found new evidence over the weekend and presented it to the
grand jury on Monday, leading to the new indictment against DeLay. Earle
did not release any details about the new evidence." -By
Kelley Shannon with contributions by April Castro, Suzanne Gamboa and Wendy
Benjaminson -AP
via -SFGate.com
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Politics
- Business
- "A
second grand jury indicts DeLay: Embattled leader
faces new money laundering counts." ... "Representative Tom DeLay was indicted
again yesterday -- this time on money laundering charges -- in an escalating
criminal case that has far-ranging political implications in Texas and
Washington." ... "The new indictment accuses DeLay, a Texas Republican,
of illegally circumventing the state's law against corporate campaign contributions,
and was issued by a newly empanelled Travis County grand jury on the first
day of its term." ... "The new indictment follows on the heels of indictments
against DeLay and his associates by a separate Travis County grand jury
on Sept. 28, the last day of that grand jury's term." -By
R.A. Dyer -Knight Ridder via
-Boston/Globe
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Business
- Law
- "DeLay
pledges to keep raising funds: Vows he will work
with GOP leaders, charges 'frivolous'." ... "A defiant Tom DeLay said yesterday
that he would continue to be active in shaping the GOP agenda on Capitol
Hill and predicted he would be cleared of the ''frivolous" charge that
he was part of a scheme to fund illegal corporate contributions to Republican
candidates in his home state of Texas." ... "DeLay, who was forced to step
down as House majority leader last week after he was indicted by a Texas
grand jury, also hinted at his legal defense in the case. While DeLay did
not deny that his political action committee raised corporate funds, he
said the money was not illegally laundered by a national Republican group
so it could be funneled to state legislative candidates." -By
Susan Milligan -Boston/Globe
Missouri
- Tom
DeLay - Law
- "Ethics
cloud hangs over new House GOP leader: He employs
adviser indicted with DeLay." ... "As he worked to unite the party and
turn its attention back to the legislative agenda, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri,
DeLay's successor as majority leader, faced ethics questions himself."
... "Records on file with the Federal Election Commission show that since
2003, Blunt's political action committee has paid $94,000 in salary to
the consulting firm of Jim Ellis, a longtime associate of DeLay. Ellis
has been indicted in the same case as DeLay, for allegedly conspiring to
illegally influence the outcome of Texas legislative elections by channeling
corporate money to Republican candidates." -By Mary
Curtius -LAtimes
via -SFGate.com
Texas
- Tom
DeLay
- Business
- Politics
- "$190,000
check is at center of case." ... "The Texans for
a Republican Majority Political Action Committee, whose mission was designed
to put the state Legislature under GOP control, was getting a lot of money
from corporate donors. But under Texas law, the corporate cash could not
go to local candidates for state offices." ... "Nevertheless, a DeLay associate
arrived in Washington in 2002 with a check for $190,000 addressed to the
Republican National State Election Committee, according to the indictment
handed up yesterday against DeLay." ... "Later, the committee made contributions
to candidates for Texas state offices." ... "The indictment says the DeLay
associates in effect laundered the contributions through the Republican
National State Election Committee, which gave it to candidates whom DeLay's
political action committee supported for the Texas House of Representatives
-- thus avoiding a state ban on corporate contributions to local candidates."
-By Michael Kranish
-Boston/Globe
Missouri
- 
Illinois
- California
- Texas
- Tom
DeLay
- "Blunt
Will Seek to Continue Indicted DeLay's Political Agenda."
... "U.S. House Republicans chose continuity over change in selecting [Missouri
Republican] Roy Blunt, a long-time lieutenant to Majority Leader Tom DeLay,
to step into Delay's role after a Texas indictment forced him out of his
post." ... "Blunt, 55, the No.3 House Republican, won the support of the
party's 231-member caucus after social-conservative groups rebelled over
[Illinois Republican] House Speaker Dennis Hastert's initial plan to replace
DeLay with Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier [California Republican],
who has a less conservative voting record." ... "Blunt also has had his
ethics called into question. The Washington Post reported in 2003 that
Blunt tried to insert into a homeland security measure a provision benefiting
Altria Group Inc.'s Philip Morris unit. At the time, Blunt was dating a
lobbyist with the company. A top aide to Hastert stripped the provision
out, the Post reported." -By Laura Litvan
-Bloomberg
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Business
- 
Labor
- Politics
- "DeLay
Indictment May Be Overshadowed by Looming Abramoff Probe."
... "The larger legal challenge for [Texas Republican Tom] DeLay may center
on a task force led by the U.S. Justice Department that's investigating
Jack Abramoff, the indicted lobbyist who boasted of his relationship with
DeLay." ... "Delay, 58, who stepped down temporarily as House majority
leader after being indicted, once called Abramoff ``one of my closest and
dearest friends.'' He has traveled to the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, an Abramoff client, on trips organized by Abramoff's law
firm and has blocked efforts to apply U.S. minimum wage and labor laws
to the commonwealth." ... "He also sided with another Abramoff client,
Tyco International Inc., in opposing efforts to stop federal contracts
from going to the Bermuda-based company and other firms that have incorporated
overseas to cut their tax bills while maintaining their business in the
U.S." -By Jonathan D. Salant
-Bloomberg
Tom
DeLay - Missouri
- Legal
- Politics
-"DeLay
is likely to see a surge in contributions: GOP lawmakers,
corporations are among the donors." ... "Tom DeLay will have an ample legal
defense fund with which to fight the criminal charge against him, and much
of the money comes from other Republican lawmakers as well as corporations
interested in a variety of legislation." ... "The fund has pulled in $1,089,871
since its inception in July 2000, according to Public Citizen, which has
tracked the donations using documents filed to the House Legislative Resource
Center." ... "DeLay's Republican colleagues in the House have given a sum
total of $389,500." ... "The top congressional donor is Rep. Roy Blunt
of Missouri, who is taking over as House majority leader." -By
Jessica Holzer -HoustonChronicle.com
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Business
- Politics
- 2002
Election - "DeLay
Is Charged With Criminal Conspiracy in Texas." ...
"Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the powerful House Republican majority
leader, was accused by a Texas grand jury today of criminal conspiracy
in a campaign fund-raising scheme." ... "Mr. DeLay was indicted on one
count charging that he violated state election laws in September 2002."
... "State law prohibits use of corporate contributions to advocate the
election or defeat of state candidates, and prosecutors accuse the DeLay
organization of engaging in a complex scheme to circumvent the law." -By
David Stout -NYTimes
Tom
DeLay - Texas
- Business
- Politics
- 2002
Election - CA
- "House
Majority Leader DeLay Indicted for Conspiracy (Update2)."
... "U.S. Representative Tom DeLay, the No. 2 Republican in the House,
was indicted by a Texas grand jury on a charge of criminal conspiracy in
connection with illegal corporate political donations." ... "DeLay, 58,
who faces up to two years in prison, will temporarily step aside as House
majority leader, he said in a statement. House Speaker Dennis Hastert said
he will recommend that Representative David Dreier of California replace
the Texas Republican as leader, the Associated Press reported." ... "The
charge stems from an investigation into alleged use of illegal corporate
contributions by DeLay's political action committee, Texans for a Republican
Majority, in the 2002 races for the [Texas] state House of Representatives."
-By Darrell Preston and Laura Litvan
-Bloomberg
Tom
DeLay - Austin
- Texas
- 2002
Election - Political
- Business
- "DeLay
indicted, steps down as majority leader." ... "Rep.
Tom DeLay said Wednesday that he will step aside as House majority leader
after a Texas grand jury indicted him on a conspiracy charge." ... "A grand
jury in Austin charged DeLay, 58, and two associates already facing criminal
charges with a single count of criminal conspiracy, accusing them of improperly
funneling corporate donations to a DeLay-founded political action committee
to Republican candidates for the Texas Legislature in 2002."
-CNN
Tom
DeLay - Texas- Business
- Politics
- 2002
Election - [PDF]
- "The
State of Texas vs. John Dominick Colyandro, James Walter Ellis, & Thomas
Dale DeLay." -FindLaw/Documents
Tom
DeLay - Austin
- Texas
- Business
- Politics
- 2002
Election - "DeLay
Indicted in Texas Campaign Finance Probe." ... "A
Texas grand jury today indicted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and two
political associates, charging them with a conspiracy to violate Texas
campaign finance laws. DeLay said he was temporarily stepping down from
his post as the No. 2 Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives."
... "The indictment names John Colyandro and James Ellis as DeLay's co-conspirators,
Travis Dist. Atty. Ronald Earle announced in Austin." ... "Specifically,
Earle's office said, DeLay is charged with conspiring with Ellis and Colyandro
"to violate the Texas Election Code by contributing corporate money to
certain candidates for the Texas legislature."" ... "The 2002 legislative
election at the center of the arrangement led to a historic realignment
of the Texas House, just before it took up a redistricting measure that
would eventually realign U.S. House districts in Texas under a map favorable
to Republicans." -By James Gerstenzang-LAtimes
Tom
DeLay - Austin- Texas
- Business
- Politics
- 2002
Election - "DeLay
Indicted in Texas Campaign Finance Probe." ... "A
Texas grand jury today indicted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and two
political associates, charging them with a conspiracy to violate Texas
campaign finance laws. DeLay said he was temporarily stepping down from
his post as the No. 2 Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives."
... "The indictment names John Colyandro and James Ellis as DeLay's co-conspirators,
Travis Dist. Atty. Ronald Earle announced in Austin." ... "Specifically,
Earle's office said, DeLay is charged with conspiring with Ellis and Colyandro
"to violate the Texas Election Code by contributing corporate money to
certain candidates for the Texas legislature."" ... "The 2002 legislative
election at the center of the arrangement led to a historic realignment
of the Texas House, just before it took up a redistricting measure that
would eventually realign U.S. House districts in Texas under a map favorable
to Republicans." -By James Gerstenzang
-LAtimes
US
- 
UK
- 
Canada
- 
WV
- 
Washington
- 
Hastings
- DeLay
- Abramoff
- Ed
Cassidy
- 
Nuclear
- Money
- Travel
- Law
- "Ethics
claims target Doc Hastings." ... "[Washington state
Republican Representative] Rep. Doc Hastings, already under fire as chairman
of the stalled House ethics committee, accepted a $7,800 trip to England
[UK] in 2000 from a company he championed for a multibillion-dollar contract
at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, records released by an advocacy group
yesterday show." ... "In addition, other records released yesterday by
a political Web site show that Hastings, a Republican from Pasco, did not
file a required travel report for a 2004 trip to a resort on Stuart Island,
B.C. [British Columbia, Canada] That was paid for by another company also
working at Hanford." ... "Hastings has been under fire for not scheduling
hearings on ethics allegations against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
DeLay is accused of accepting a trip paid for by lobbyist Jack Abramoff,
who is under investigation over allegations that he defrauded clients of
millions of dollars." ... "The ethics committee has been stalled for six
weeks. Democrats, led by ranking member Alan Mollohan [Representative]
of West Virginia, declined to meet after Hastings proposed making his longtime
chief of staff, Ed Cassidy, staff director for the committee." ... "Mollohan
said that violates rules that say professional staffers who take part in
investigations of House members must be nonpartisan and elected by committee
members."I don't think it's possible to make the rule clearer," he said.
"It is very simple."" -By Alicia Mundy
-SeattleTimes
-
- Tom
DeLay -
"Schiavo
autopsy results reach a divided Congress." ... "Conservative
lawmakers, led by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, joined Schiavo's
parents and their supporters in March in their fight to prolong her life
over the objections of her husband Michael. The controversy evoked emotional
rhetoric: DeLay called the court-ordered removal of Schiavo's feeding tube
an "act of barbarism."" ... "The autopsy said she had irreversible brain
damage, was blind and couldn't respond to visual stimulus." -By
Andrea Stone -USATODAY
Doc
Hastings - 
Jack
Abramoff - 
Tom
DeLay - Money
- Politics
- Federal
- Law
- Investigation
- 
Clothing
- 
Factories
- Workers
- 
Human
Rights - Seattle
- Washington
- Texas
- Northern
Mariana Islands
-
- Tom
DeLay -2002
Election - "Judge
Rules Group Tied to DeLay Violated Election Law."
... "In the first major legal decision involving associates of Representative
Tom DeLay, a Texas judge ruled today that a political action committee
formed by Mr. Delay had broken campaign finance laws as it propelled the
Republican Party into power in the Texas House in 2002." ... "It does not
directly implicate Mr. DeLay, the majority leader of the United States
House of Representatives, of any wrongdoing; he was not named as a defendant
in the case." ... "But the outcome marked an important symbolic victory
for Mr. DeLay's critics, lending credence to allegations that his allies
used illegal campaign finance tactics to expand the Republican majority."
-By Anne E. Kornblut -NYTimes
-
-
- Tom
DeLay -2002
Election - "Judge
rules against DeLay PAC official." ... "A judge today
ruled that the treasurer of a political committee formed by U.S. House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay violated Texas election law by failing to report
nearly $600,000 in corporation contributions." ... "The money was spent
by the committee in 2002 legislative races to help elected Republicans
to the Texas Legislature." ... "Bill Ceverha, who served as treasurer of
the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee, was ordered
to pay $197,000 to five losing Democratic candidates in 2002 races." -By
Wayne Slater -DallasNews.com
-
-
- Tom
DeLay -
"Judge
Rules Against DeLay Group Official." ... "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." ... "In the civil case, the Democrats claimed that
[Bill] Ceverha violated the state law designed to keep elections free from
``the taint of corporate cash.''" -By Kelley Shannon
-AP via -Guardian.co.uk
-
-
- Tom
DeLay -Austin
- 2002
Election - "New
ethics cloud over leading U.S. Republican DeLay."
... "Ethics questions swirling around U.S. House of Representatives Majority
Leader Tom DeLay mounted on Thursday when a Texas judge ruled that a committee
the powerful Republican had formed violated state law by failing to disclose
$600,000 in mostly corporate donations." ... "State District Judge Joe
Hart in Austin [Texas] made the ruling in a lawsuit filed by five Democratic
candidates defeated in 2002 by Republicans who received money from Texans
for a Republican Majority, a political action committee founded by DeLay
to help Republicans capture the Texas Legislature." (1, 2)
-By Mark Babineck -Reuters
via-WashingtonPost
Tom
DeLay
- "Tom
DeLay's Empire of Favors." ... "His supporters say
that Mr. DeLay, the House majority leader, has done nothing wrong - that
he's the target of unfair attacks from Democrats bent on partisan revenge.
Yet the volume of outspoken support also speaks to the strong personal
loyalty many have for Mr. DeLay. How is it that he is more popular among
Republicans than, say, President Bush's proposals for Social Security?"
... "The reason, it seems, is that over the years, brick by brick, Mr.
DeLay has built a wall of political support. His small acts of kindness
have become lore. Pizza during late night votes. Travel arrangements for
low-level lawmakers. Birthday wishes, get-well cards, condolences for House
members in emotional need." ... "On a larger scale, friends - and enemies
- describe him as a favor-trader extraordinaire, piling up a mountain of
goodwill. Almost every Republican in the House owes Mr. DeLay for something
- a job, a piece of legislation or a large campaign contribution." (1,
2)
-By Anne E. Kornblut -NYTimes
- Oklahoma
- Tom
DeLay
- "2
in GOP to skip DeLay ethics probe." ... "Two of the
five Republicans on the House ethics committee will not participate in
any investigation of potentially improper travel by House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay, the panel's chairman said Wednesday." ... "Lamar Smith of Texas
and Tom Cole of Oklahoma contributed to DeLay's legal defense fund last
year, creating what outside ethics experts regarded as a conflict of interest."
... "Smith and Cole would be replaced in any committee deliberations involving
DeLay by two other Republicans to be chosen by House Speaker Dennis Hastert,
R-Ill." -By Jim Drinkard
-USATODAY
- Tom
DeLay -
"A
Lobbyist in Full." ... "Early on, Abramoff made friends
who would be vital to his future success. His College Republican campaign
had been managed by Grover Norquist, who is now one of Washington's most
influential conservative activists. Joining the team as a $200-per-month
intern was a baby-faced college student, Ralph Reed. Together, the three
of them shaped the organization into a right-wing battle machine. ''It
is not our job to seek peaceful coexistence with the Left,'' Abramoff was
quoted as saying in the group's 1983 annual report. ''Our job is to remove
them from power permanently.''" ... "As his business and reputation grew,
Abramoff was becoming a vital cog in the G.O.P.'s money machine. He played
a major role in ''The K Street Project,'' a Norquist-designed initiative
that pressured lobbying firms to slant Republican in their hiring and donations.
Public-interest watchdogs were appalled at the new level of coordination
between Congress and business lobbyists, but Abramoff makes no apologies
for it. ''It was my role to push the Republicans on K Street to be more
helpful to the conservative movement,'' Abramoff told me. Partly to that
end, Abramoff hired several former senior G.O.P. Congressional aides onto
his lobbying team, including [Tom] DeLay aides like Michael Scanlon and
Tony Rudy, now a prominent lobbyist. He also sent his associates in the
other direction; in 2001, for example, his personal assistant, Susan Ralston,
took the same job under Karl Rove, effectively making her Rove's gatekeeper.""
(1, 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7)
-By Michael Crowley -NYTimes
Tom
DeLay -
"Jack
in a Box: Besieged lobbyist Jack Abramoff offers
his take on the ethics scandals roiling Washington and threatening his
good friend Tom DeLay." ... "Since he emerged as a leading character in
the controversy over House majority leader Tom DeLay's ethical standards,
Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff has been famously tight-lipped. A central
issue is whether some of DeLay's overseas travel was funded, at least indirectly,
by Abramoff, in violation of House rules barring legislators from accepting
travel paid for by lobbyists. Abramoff, 46, an orthodox Jew who espouses
conservative values, was already under investigation by two congressional
committees and the fbi for allegedly bilking his Indian-tribe clients and
possibly abusing tax exemptions on charities he set up. Abramoff spoke
to TIME's Adam Zagorin about the questions swirling around him."
-By Jack Abramoff and Adam Zagorin ed. 20050509
-TIME.com
- Tom
DeLay -
"Lawmaker
Should Step Aside in DeLay Inquiry, Groups Say."
... "Campaign watchdog groups said on Friday that it would be inappropriate
for Representative Melissa A. Hart to oversee any potential inquiry of
the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, because she had received $15,000
from his political action committee and held a fund-raiser at a restaurant
owned by a Republican lobbyist at the center of a growing corruption scandal."
... "Ms. Hart, a Pennsylvania Republican, has been named by the House ethics
committee chairman to look into accusations about Mr. DeLay, who is under
scrutiny for overseas trips organized by Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist. Mr.
Abramoff's far-reaching political work is now the subject of a federal
grand jury investigation. Campaign records filed with the Federal Election
Commission show that Ms. Hart held a fund-raising event at his restaurant,
Signatures, in Washington." -By Anne E. Kornblut andf
Philip Shenon -NYTimes
-
- Tom
DeLay -
"House
deal paves way for DeLay probe: GOP agrees to reinstate
old ethics rules." ... "House Republicans, acceding to heavy political
pressure, agreed yesterday to a change in the rules that clears the way
for an investigation of embattled House majority leader Tom DeLay." ...
"The House action last night reinstated earlier rules that permit an investigation
of a House member even if the bipartisan Committee on Standards and Official
Conduct, commonly known as the Ethics Committee, is deadlocked on a conduct
question before them -- a likely scenario because the 10-member panel is
evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats." ... "The full Ethics
Committee is now free, if a member files a complaint, to launch an official
investigation of DeLay, whom the panel chastised three times last year.
DeLay was admonished for calling a federal agency to interfere with a Texas
redistricting fight, golfing with energy executives while energy legislation
was under consideration, and offering to support the congressional candidacy
of House Republican Nick Smith's son if Smith supported the 2003 Medicare
bill. Smith voted no anyway, but the Medicare bill passed." (1, 2)
-By Susan Milligan
-Boston/Globe
- Tom
DeLay -
"Donations
link DeLay, ethics panel." ... "All five Republicans
on the House ethics committee have financial links to Tom DeLay that could
raise conflict-of-interest issues should the panel investigate the GOP
majority leader." ... "Public records show DeLay's leadership political
action committee (PAC) gave $15,000 to the campaign of Rep. Melissa Hart,
R-Pa. — $10,000 in 2000 and $5,000 in 2002. Hart would chair a panel to
investigate DeLay if the committee moves forward with a probe." -By
Jim Drinkard -USATODAY
Tom
DeLay -
"GOP
to Reverse Ethics Rule Blocking New DeLay Probe:
January Change Led Democrats to Shut Down Panel." ... ""Republicans touched
off a political uproar in January by changing a rule that had required
the ethics committee to continue considering a complaint against a House
member if there was a deadlock between the committee's five Republicans
and five Democrats. The January change reversed this, calling for automatic
dismissal of an ethics complaint when a deadlock occurs." ... "Leaving
his office last night, [Republican Speaker J. Dennis] Hastert would not
say what form his recommended changes will take and suggested that one
option might be to lengthen the time before the automatic dismissal occurs,
to perhaps 90 or 120 days." -By Mike Allen -WashingtonPost
-
- - Tom
DeLay -
"DeLay
Airfare Was Charged To Lobbyist's Credit Card." ...
"The airfare to London and Scotland in 2000 for then-House Majority Whip
Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) was charged to an American Express card issued to Jack
Abramoff, a Washington lobbyist at the center of a federal criminal and
tax probe, according to two sources who know Abramoff's credit card account
number and to a copy of a travel invoice displaying that number." ... "DeLay's
expenses during the same trip for food, phone calls and other items at
a golf course hotel in Scotland were billed to a different credit card
also used on the trip by a second registered Washington lobbyist, Edwin
A. Buckham, according to receipts documenting that portion of the trip."
... "House ethics rules bar lawmakers from accepting travel and related
expenses from registered lobbyists. DeLay, who is now House majority leader,
has said that his expenses on this trip were paid by a nonprofit organization
and that the financial arrangements for it were proper. He has also said
he had no way of knowing that any lobbyist might have financially supported
the trip, either directly or through reimbursements to the nonprofit organization."
-By R. Jeffrey Smith with contributions by Lucy Shackelford,
Alice Crites and Madonna Lebling -WashingtonPost
- 
- Tom
DeLay -
"DeLay
criticizes Supreme Court justice." ... "The No. 2
Republican in the House has been openly critical of the federal courts
since they refused to order the reinsertion of Schiavo's feeding tube.
And he pointed to Kennedy as an example of Republican members of the Supreme
Court who were activist and isolated." .. ""Absolutely. We've got [Supreme
Court] Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law,
not the Constitution of the United States? That's just outrageous," DeLay
told Fox News Radio on Tuesday. "And not only that, but he said in session
that he does his own research on the Internet? That is just incredibly
outrageous."" -AP
via -CNN
- Tom
DeLay
- "DeLay
Outlines Strategy Against Federal Judges." ... "Representative
Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, sharply criticized Justice Anthony
M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court on Tuesday and said the House Judiciary
Committee would explore what the authors of the Constitution intended when
they said federal judges hold their post on the basis of good behavior."
... ""We want to define what good behavior means," Mr. DeLay said in an
extended appearance on a Fox News radio show in which Tony Snow was host."
-By Carl Hulse -NYTimes
- Tom
DeLay
- "DeLay
blasts Justice Kennedy." ... "House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay intensified his criticism of the federal courts yesterday, singling
out Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's work as "incredibly outrageous.""
... "DeLay also said there were a "lot of Republican-appointed judges that
are judicial activists."" -By Jesse J. Holland
-AP via -SeattleTimes.NWsource
-
- Tom
DeLay
- "Tom
DeLay's power trip." ... "DeLay began building his
megamachine with a breathtakingly hubristic "pay to play" system. It was
not just that anyone who wanted access had to contribute to the Republican
apparatus. The new rules also required that special interests refrain from
contributing to Democratic causes." ... "But when the timorous House ethics
monitors began questioning DeLay's behavior and had the gall to actually
admonish him last year, DeLay purged the committee of the Republicans who
questioned his rule and replaced them with solid loyalists, some of whom
have actually contributed to his legal defense fund. Then he began altering
the rules to make sure that if some further charge managed to slip through,
it would die of neglect." -NYTimes
via -IHT.com
-
- Malaysia
-
- Tom
DeLay -
"Think
Tank's Ideas Shifted As Malaysia Ties Grew: Business
Interests Overlapped Policy." ... "For years, the Heritage Foundation sharply
criticized the autocratic rule of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad, denouncing his anti-Semitism, his jailing of political opponents
and his "anti-free market currency controls."" ... "Heritage's new, pro-Malaysian
outlook emerged at the same time a Hong Kong consulting firm co-founded
by Edwin J. Feulner, Heritage's president, began representing Malaysian
business interests. The for-profit firm, called Belle Haven Consultants,
retains Feulner's wife, Linda Feulner, as a "senior adviser."" ... "On
Sept. 27, 2001, Belle Haven hired Alexander Strategy Group, a Washington
lobby firm run by Edwin A. Buckham, a former chief of staff to House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), to help represent Malaysian clients." -By
Thomas B. Edsall with contributions by Susan Schmidt and Lucy Shackelford
-WashingtonPost
- Austin
- - - Tom
DeLay -
"Unrest
surfaces in home district of DeLay." ... "In Austin,
a state judge may rule as soon as this week in a civil lawsuit by five
losing Democratic candidates against the treasurer of a political-action
committee formed by DeLay that the Democrats say improperly funneled corporate
money to state races. A criminal investigation also is pending, and a GOP
member of the Texas House came forward last week to say he was offered
an illegal inducement to elect a DeLay ally, Tom Craddick, as the Texas
House speaker last year." -By Ralph Blumenthal
-NYTimes via -SeattleTimes.NWsource
Tom
DeLay -
"DeLay
Avoids Ethics Flap in Speech to NRA." ... "House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay, under fire for alleged ethics violations, accused
liberal Democrats and the national media of giving him a hard time in a
keynote speech at the National Rifle Association's annual convention Saturday
evening." ... "DeLay only briefly mentioned the ethics accusations, telling
members of the gun-rights group that he appreciated their support." ...
"``When a man is in trouble or in a good fight, he wants all of his friends
around him, particularly armed,'' the Republican from nearby Sugar Land
said. ``So I'm in good company tonight.''" -By Pam
Easton
-AP
via -Guardian.co.uk
Tom
DeLay
- Travel
- "On
Sunday Talk Shows, DeLay Is the Hot Topic." ... "On
"Fox News Sunday," Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the Democratic
whip of the House, said Republicans have "neutered" the Ethics Committee
by firing members that have admonished Mr. DeLay and appointing others
who have contributed to his defense." ... "Representative Roy Blunt of
Missouri, the majority whip in the House, said there was nothing to indicate
that Mr. DeLay had done anything wrong. "Tom DeLay - all of this information
on travel and other things - properly filed at the proper time within 30
days of taking the trips that he took," he said. "And members do this.
That's why we have that disclosure."" -By Christine
Hauser -NYTimes
-
-
- Tom
DeLay
- Travel
- "When
Tom Met Jack: Inside the cozy relationship between
Tom DeLay and D.C.'s most notorious lobbyist. Could it take the leader
down?" ... "It was congress's holiday for memorial Day 2000, and majority
whip Tom DeLay's staff thought the boss and two top aides deserved a respite
from the arduous hours they had been putting in doing the people's business.
They wanted to make sure DeLay's little delegation had the finest of everything
on its weeklong trip to Britain—from lodgings at the Four Seasons Hotel
in London to dinners at the poshest restaurants with the most interesting
people, right down to the best tickets for The Lion King—at the time, one
of the hottest shows playing on the West End and one for which good seats
usually meant a six-month wait. So DeLay's congressional office turned
to someone they trusted far more than any travel agent or concierge: lobbyist
Jack Abramoff. "He ran all the trips," recalls a former top DeLay aide.
"You ask where the itineraries came from, who made all the travel arrangements—it
all came out of Jack's shop." ... "Previous trips had taken DeLay and members
of his staff all over the world, but none had been planned quite as meticulously
as this one."" (1, 2,
3,
4)
-By Karen Tumulty
-TIME.com
-
- 
- Tom
DeLay
- Florida
- Travel
- "The
Foreign Junket: Who Paid for the Malaysia Trip?"
... "On Aug. 30, 2001, then majority whip Tom DeLay, his wife, his staff
and two Florida Republican House members arrived in Malaysia on what was
billed as an educational trip." ... "A Heritage senior fellow who was on
the trip tells TIME that it wasn't Heritage. He says that Belle Haven Consultants,
a for-profit, Hong Kong-based firm linked to the Malaysian government,
played a key role. "Heritage had nothing to do with it," says the senior
fellow, former Wyoming Senator Malcolm Wallop. "Belle Haven did."" ...
"It would be a violation of House ethics rules if a group other than the
official sponsor paid for a trip for a member of Congress." -By
Massimo Calabresi
-TIME.com
- Tom
DeLay
- "Get
Tom DeLay to the Church on Time." ... "Beltway cronyism,
dubious junkets, loophole-laden denials are all, of course, time-honored
Washington fare. The few on the right backing away from Mr. DeLay, from
The Wall Street Journal's editorial page to Newt Gingrich, make a point
of reminding us of that. As they see it, more in sorrow than in anger,
the Gingrich revolutionaries who vowed to end the corruption practiced
by Congressional Democrats have now been infected by the same Washington
virus as their opponents. That's true, but this critique of Mr. DeLay and
company by their own camp all too conveniently sidesteps the distinguishing
feature of this scandal. Democratic malefactors like Jim Wright and L.B.J.'s
old fixer Bobby Baker didn't wear the Bible on their sleeves." (1, 2)
-By Frank Rich -NYTimes
Tom
DeLay
- "10
Ex-G.O.P. Lawmakers Attack Changes in Ethics Rules."
... "Ten former members of Congress, all Republicans, joined in a letter
to the House leadership on Thursday to say they believed that revisions
in House ethics rules this year were an "obvious action to protect Majority
Leader Tom DeLay" from investigation. They said the changes needed to be
reversed "to restore public confidence in the People's House."" ... "The
letter, to be presented Friday to Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, is signed
by Mark Andrews, a former member of both the Senate and the House from
North Dakota, and nine other former House Republicans. While it offers
no conclusion about the merits of ethics controversies now swirling around
Mr. DeLay, it says "the consensus in our respective districts" is that
"the previous admonitions to Mr. DeLay for casting discredit on the House
were well-merited."" -By Philip Shenon and Sheryl
Gay Stolberg -NYTimes
Tom
DeLay
- "Former
House Republicans Condemn Ethics Rules Change (Update1)."
... "House Democrats forced a floor vote yesterday on a resolution creating
a bipartisan task force to study the new rules that allow ethics charges
against lawmakers to be shelved after 45 days if there is a deadlock in
the House ethics panel, which is divided evenly between the two political
parties. The resolution was defeated, 218-195; two Republicans -- Jim Leach
of Iowa and Joel Hefley of Colorado --voted in favor."
-Bloomberg
- - Tom
DeLay
- "Even
Some Bush-Backing Newspapers Are Hammering Tom DeLay."
... "Embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) is facing criticism
from newspapers that had previously supported President Bush, calling into
question the contention that DeLay's woes are the result of a battering
by "liberal media," as some of his supporters claim." -By
Graham Webster -EditorAndPublisher
- Tom
DeLay
- "GOP
Kills House Ethics Changes." ... "House Republicans
brushed aside the Democrats' latest attempt to rewrite ethics rules on
Thursday, one day after a closed-door discussion that touched on the perils
of political arrogance." ... "The vote was 218-195, along party lines,
to kill the proposal by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader."
... "The California Democrat swiftly issued a statement accusing Republicans
of showing "allegiance to the ethics standards of Tom DeLay." DeLay, the
majority leader, is battling charges of misconduct." (1, 2)
-AP with
-CBSNews
Tom
DeLay
- "Conservative
Lawmaker: DeLay Should Quit." ... "One of Congress'
most conservative members on Friday became the second House Republican
to urge Majority Leader Tom DeLay to step aside because of the ethics scrutiny
he's facing." ... ""If the majority leader were to temporarily step aside
so that these trumped up charges can be dealt with in a less hostile environment,
as they have proven to be an unnecessary distraction, it may be a productive
move," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo." -AP
via -ABCNEWS.com
Tom
DeLay -
-
- Ohio
- "Influence-peddling
inquiry focuses on Indian tribes' lobbyist." ...
"Jack Abramoff, one of Washington's most powerful and best paid lobbyists,
needed $100,000 in a hurry." ... "Abramoff, known to envious competitors
as "Casino Jack" because of his multimillion-dollar lobbying fees from
the gambling operations of Indian tribes, wrote to a Texas tribe in June
2002 to say that a member of Congress had "asked if we could help (as in
cover) a Scotland golf trip for him and some staff" that summer." ... ""The
trip will be quite expensive," Abramoff said in the e-mail, estimating
that the bills "would be around $100K or more." He added that in 2000,
"We did this for another member - you know who."" ... "Abramoff did not
explain why the tribe should pay for the lavish trip or identify the congressmen
by name. But a tribe spokesman has since testified to Congress that the
2002 trip was organized for Representative Bob Ney, Republican of Ohio
and chairman of the House Administration Committee, and that "you know
who" was Tom DeLay, Republican of Texas, the House majority leader and
old friend of Abramoff's." ... "Both lawmakers have said they believed
that their trips to Britain complied with House travel rules." -By
Philip Shenon -NYTimes
via -IHT.com
Tom
DeLay -
- 
-
-
-
-
- "DeLay
under fire: What's at stake." ... "DeLay has been
admonished more by the House Ethics Committee than any sitting member of
Congress." ... "Last year, the bipartisan panel — the only House committee
with equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats — unanimously criticized
DeLay for three things. It said a golf fundraiser with executives of an
energy company created the appearance that he was giving donors special
access. It said he improperly tried to have the Federal Aviation Administration
find Texas legislators who were hiding in Oklahoma to thwart action on
his plan to redraw the state's congressional districts. And it said he
promised a retiring House Republican he would endorse the man's son to
succeed him if he voted for Bush's Medicare drug plan." ... "In 1999, the
committee warned DeLay after he threatened the Electronic Industries Alliance,
a trade group, for hiring a former Democratic congressman as its president.
And it cautioned him in 1997 about creating the impression that campaign
contributions would bring "official action or access."" ... "In addition,
two investigations — one in Texas, the other in Washington— are targeting
close DeLay allies." -By Kathy Kiely and Jim Drinkard
with contributions by Jill Lawrence -USATODAY
- Tom
DeLay -
"With
Friends Like These... A lunchtime chat with a lobbyist
close to Tom DeLay suggests he may be headed for hotter water." ... "Once
a Washington superlobbyist, [Jack] Abramoff is now the target of a Justice
Department criminal probe of allegations that he defrauded American Indian
tribes of tens of millions of dollars in fees. As stories of his alleged
excess dribble out—including the emergence of e-mails showing he derisively
referred to his Native American clients as "monkeys" and "idiots"—some
of Abramoff's old friends have abandoned him and treated him like a pariah.
They claim they knew nothing of his questionable lobbying tactics." ...
""Everybody is lying," Abramoff told a former colleague. There are e-mails
and records that will implicate others, he said. He was noticeably caustic
about House Majority Leader Tom DeLay." ... "In response, 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."" (1, 2)
-By Michael Isikoff 20050418issue
-MSNBC/Newsweek
- Tom
DeLay -
"2
in GOP Take Aim at DeLay: House majority leader,
facing questions over trips he took, is urged to 'lay out what he did.'"
... "The near-solid wall of public support that Republicans have displayed
for beleaguered House Majority Leader Tom DeLay began to crack Sunday,
with a Senate leader saying the Texas Republican needed to "lay out what
he did and why he did it" and a House member calling on him to step down
from his leadership post." ... "DeLay, who last year was admonished three
times by the House Permanent Select Committee on Ethics for his hardball
political tactics, has been the subject of recent news reports involving
trips he took that were indirectly funded by lobbyists or foreign agents
— a violation of House rules." -By Mary Curtius-LAtimes
Tom
DeLay -
- "Santorum
Calls for DeLay to Come Forward on Ethics Questions."
... "Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum said House Majority Leader Tom
DeLay should reveal his actions regarding reports that he went on a lobbyist-funded
trip and that his wife and daughter were paid by his political action committee."
... "``I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he
did it and let the people then judge for themselves,'' Santorum, 46, of
Pennsylvania, said during an interview today on ABC's ``This week.''" -By
Timothy W. Doyle ed. by Joe Winski -Bloomberg
- Tom
DeLay - Connecticut
- "[Connecticut's
Republican Representative Christopher] Shays: DeLay Should Quit As House
Leader: GOP Congressman Tells AP That Texas Rep.
Tom DeLay Should Step Down House Majority Leader." ... ""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." ... "A moderate Republican from Connecticut
who has battled with his party's leadership on a number of issues, Shays
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," Shays said." (1, 2,
3)
-By Lou Kesten with contributions by Lolita C. Baldor
and Suzanne Gamboa -AP
via -ABCNEWS.com
Tom
DeLay - Connecticut
- "Republican
calls for DeLay to step down: Another says he should
clear air on ethics issues." ... "[Connecticut's Republican Representative
Christopher] Shays and Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., the past chairman of
the House ethics committee, have signed a Democratic resolution that would
undo some of the rules changes that GOP leaders, including DeLay, pushed
through the House in January." ... "Hefley was removed as chairman after
the committee unanimously voted last year to issue three admonishments
against DeLay. A key staffer also was fired." ... "DeLay recently offered
to go before the committee to answer charges that have been raised in recent
weeks. But his offer was viewed as largely symbolic since the committee
is gridlocked." -By Gebe Martinez
-HoustonChronicle.com
-
- 
- Tom
DeLay -
"DeLay
shrugs off claims of ethics violations." ... "The
list of complaints grew this week, when The New York Times reported that
his wife and daughter were paid more than $500,000 (€387,000, £266,000)
by his political action and campaign committees. On the same day, The Washington
Post reported that a six-day trip to Moscow in 1997 was underwritten by
business interests who were lobbying in support of the Russian government."
... "Mr DeLay is a hero in conservative circles, praised for his fundraising
prowess and nicknamed "The Hammer" for his ability to round up support
on tight votes. He has dismissed the latest charges as "just another seedy
attempt by the liberal media to embarrass me."" -By
Holly Yeager -FT.com
- Tom
DeLay -
"DeLay
Says Federal Judiciary Has 'Run Amok,' Adding Congress Is Partly to Blame."
... "Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, escalated his
talk of a battle between the legislative and judicial branches of government
on Thursday, saying federal courts had "run amok," in large part because
of the failure of Congress to confront them." ... ""The failure is to a
great degree Congress's," Mr. DeLay said. "The response of the legislative
branch has mostly been to complain. There is another way, ladies and gentlemen,
and that is to reassert our constitutional authority over the courts.""
... "Judges, including Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and one member
of the federal appeals court who heard the Schiavo case, have already been
sharply critical of Congressional efforts to interfere with their authority
as a violation of the Constitution's separation of powers. In a recent
report, Chief Justice Rehnquist called one such measure "unwarranted and
ill-considered" and said "a judge's judicial acts may not serve as a basis
for impeachment."" -By Carl Hulse and David D. Kirkpatrick
-NYTimes
-
-
- 
- 
- Tom
DeLay -
"Jack
Abramoff: The friend Tom DeLay can't shake." ...
"Where to begin examining the extraordinary career of Jack Abramoff? His
work trying to secure a visa for the great Zairian kleptocrat Mobutu Sese
Seko, perhaps, or the bilking of an estimated $66 million out of Native
American tribes, clients he described as "monkeys," "troglodytes," and
"idiots"? Or his leadership of a 1980s think tank financed, unbeknownst
to him apparently, by the intelligence arm of South Africa's apartheid
regime?" ... "No, the chapter of our man's story that matters most at the
moment begins with a toast given by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay during
a New Year's trip they both took to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands
in 1997. "When one of my closest and dearest friends, Jack Abramoff, your
most able representative in Washington, D.C., invited me to the islands,
I wanted to see firsthand the free-market success and the progress and
reform you have made," DeLay said before an audience of Abramoff's clients
in the islands' garment industry—whom, upon his return to Washington, he
helped win an extended exemption from federal immigration and labor laws."
-By James Harding -Slate
Tom
DeLay -
- "DeLay's
Ex-Aides Building Washington Lobbying Empires (Update2)."
... "One of the surest paths to riches in Washington is to have these five
words on a resume: ``Office of Representative Tom DeLay.''" ... "Eleven
lobbyists who once worked for the Texas Republican and House majority leader
helped bring in at least $45 million in fees for their firms in the past
two years." ... "Along the way, DeLay's former assistants have aided clients
such as ChevronTexaco Corp., Wyeth and Reynolds American Inc. in achieving
legislative victories. They have also given DeLay the kind of Washington-insider
clout he once criticized when Democrats were in power." ... "Many of the
more than 200 companies, coalitions and trade groups that have hired former
DeLay employees as lobbyists since he became House Republican leader in
January 2003 have gained from those ties as he championed their causes."
-By Kristin Jensen ed. by Joe Winski -Bloomberg
Tom
DeLay
- "House
GOP Backs DeLay Amid Ethics Scandals: House Republicans
Stand by Tom DeLay Amid Ethics Controversies, Dismissing Democratic Criticism."
... "With lawmakers back from a two-week break, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri,
the GOP whip, told reporters, "I don't see any wavering of the support
for the leader. I think a lot of members think he's taking arrows for all
of us," he added." ... "For their part, Democrats leveled a new charge,
that the ethical controversy surrounding DeLay was distracting from congressional
efforts to tackle pressing problems." ... ""When politicians, the Republican
majority, decides it is above the law, the American people are now seeing
that they have a price to pay at the pump, for their pharmaceuticals, and
in the absence of initiatives that would help grow our economy," said [Democratic
leader Nancy] Pelosi." -ABCNEWS.com
- Tom
DeLay -
"DeLay's
Lavish Island Getaway: Embattled Lobbyist Arranged
DeLay Trip." ... "A Washington lobbyist under federal investigation for
his lobbying activities arranged a lavish overseas trip to the island of
Saipan for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, over the New Year's
holiday in 1997." ... "DeLay, his wife and daughter, and several aides,
stayed for free at a beachfront resort." ... "The DeLay trip to the South
Pacific island, originally reported by a "20/20" investigation, was part
of an effort by former aide Jack Abramoff to stop legislation aimed at
cracking down on sweatshops and sex shops in the American territory, which
is known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands." (1, 2)
-By Brian Ross -ABCNEWS.com
-
- Tom
DeLay
- "Political
Groups Paid Two Relatives of House Leader." ... "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." (1, 2)
-By Philip Shenon with contributions by Eric Lipton
and Monica Borkowski -NYTimes
-
-
-
- Tom
DeLay -
"A
3rd DeLay Trip Under Scrutiny: 1997 Russia Visit
Reportedly Backed by Business Interests." ... "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." ...
"The 1997 Moscow trip is the third foreign trip by DeLay to be scrutinized
in recent weeks because of new statements by those involved that his travel
was directly or indirectly financed by registered lobbyists or a foreign
agent." -By R. Jeffrey Smith and James V. Grimaldi
with contributions by Susan Schmidt, Lucy Shackelford, Alice Crites and
Madonna Lebling -WashingtonPost
-
- "DeLay
is losing support, poll finds: Schiavo case and ethics
battles are cited in the slide." ... "House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's
footing among his [Texas] constituents has slipped drastically during the
past year and a majority of his district disapproves of how he handled
the Terri Schiavo case, according to a Houston Chronicle poll." ... "Nearly
40 percent of the 501 voters questioned Wednesday through Friday said their
opinion of the powerful Sugar Land Republican is less favorable than last
year, compared with 11 percent who said their view of him has improved."
-By Samantha Levine and Joe Stinebaker -HoustonChronicle.com
- -
- Tom
DeLay -
"DeLay's
Own Tragic Crossroads: Family of the lawmaker
involved in the Schiavo case decided in '88 to let his comatose father
die." ... "Today, as House Majority Leader, DeLay has teamed with his Senate
counterpart, Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), to champion political intervention in
the Schiavo case. They pushed emergency legislation through Congress to
shift the legal case from Florida state courts to the federal judiciary."
... "And DeLay is among the strongest advocates of keeping the woman, who
doctors say has been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years, connected
to her feeding tube. DeLay has denounced Schiavo's husband, as well as
judges, for committing what he calls "an act of barbarism" in removing
the tube." ... "In 1988, however, there was no such fiery rhetoric as the
congressman quietly joined the sad family consensus to let his father die."
-By Walter F. Roche Jr. and Sam Howe Verhovek-LAtimes
Tom
DeLay -
"Tom
DeLay: "It Is More Than Just Terri Schiavo":
Transcript: The embattled House Majority Leader finds parallels between
Terri Schiavo's case and his own." ... "Last Friday, as the House and Senate
were working out their differences over legislation to stop the removal
of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
discussed the issue at a gathering of the Family Research Council at the
Willard Hotel in Washington. In the speech, he drew parallels between Schiavo's
situation and his own as he faces a barrage of ethics allegations, and
he implicitly asked the conservatives to come to his defense as they have
Schiavo's." -By Karen Tumulty
-TIME.com
-
-
-
- "DeLay
at center of political storm." ... "In September,
three political fund-raisers tied to DeLay were indicted by a Texas grand
jury in a case involving a political committee that DeLay helped create.
The committee is accused of illegally using corporate donations for political
purposes. Documents in a related civil trial suggest DeLay played a substantial
role in the group's corporate fund raising." ... "Then the House ethics
committee admonished DeLay for pressuring a congressman to vote for a Medicare
bill by promising to support his son's run for Congress." ... "A week later,
the panel again rebuked him for enlisting the Federal Aviation Administration
in a search for Texas Democratic lawmakers during a battle over a redistricting
plan he engineered. He was also admonished for creating the appearance
of favoritism when he discussed pending energy legislation with lobbyists
at his fund-raising golf outing." -AP
via -CNN
Tom
DeLay -
-
-
- "DeLay
And Company: The G.O.P. leader's troubles mount,
with new questions about his dealings with the former aide who helped build
his political machine." ... "Ed Buckham's name was one you didn't hear
much outside the secluded corridor where he worked on the first floor of
the Capitol." ... "Thanks to an unusually close and trusting relationship
with his boss, Tom DeLay's chief of staff quietly became one of the most
powerful people in Washington " ... "Buckham shared not only DeLay's religious
faith but also his audacious vision for harnessing the financial and political
clout of business and conservative interests to carry out the G.O.P. agenda
and increase its majority in Congress. DeLay offered lobbyists the best
seats they had ever had at the table, a say in legislative and political
strategy, on the understanding that they in return would pour millions
into DeLay's favored causes and candidates. In addition, he threatened
to shut out lobbying shops that employed Democrats. In Washington that
seamless coordination between his office and the lobbying corridor of K
Street has become known as DeLay Inc. It developed the muscle to push or
block pretty much everything DeLay asked for, from protecting tax breaks
for low-wage garment manufacturers on the Northern Mariana Islands (where
DeLay spent New Year's Day 1998 with his wife and Buckham) to creating
a Medicare prescription-drug plan that critics say is a better deal for
pharmaceutical companies than it is for seniors." -By
Karen Tumulty
-TIME.com
-
- Austin
- "Law
firm hired by tribe linked to DeLay: Attorney calls
it a coincidence he's helping Indians while his partner is defending PAC."
... "When a Senate committee started investigating whether U.S. House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay's lobbyist friend and a former aide had misled Indian
tribes into giving them millions of dollars in fees, the Coushatta Indians
of Louisiana needed to replace the lobbyist with new legal representation."
... "They turned to Hance Scarborough Woodward & Weisbart LLP, the
Austin law firm that is defending the DeLay-founded Texans for a Republican
Majority [TRMPAC] in civil lawsuits brought by losing Democratic candidates."
-By R.G. Ratcliffe -HoustonChronicle.com
-
- Tom
DeLay -
"Gambling
Interests Funded DeLay Trip: Later in 2000, Lawmaker's
Vote Helped Defeat Regulatory Measure." ... "An Indian tribe and a gambling
services company made donations to a Washington public policy group that
covered most of the cost of a $70,000 trip to Britain by House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), his wife, two aides and two lobbyists in mid-2000,
two months before DeLay helped kill legislation opposed by the tribe and
the company." ... "The sponsor of the week-long trip listed in DeLay's
financial disclosures was the nonprofit National Center for Public Policy
Research, but a person involved in arranging DeLay's travel said that lobbyist
Jack Abramoff suggested the trip and then arranged for checks to be sent
by two of his clients, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and eLottery
Inc." -By James V. Grimaldi and R. Jeffrey Smith with
contributions by Alice Crites, Lucy Shackelford and Don Pohlman -WashingtonPost
- 
- "S.
Korean Group Sponsored DeLay Trip: Visits May Have
Broken House Rules." ... "A delegation of Republican House members including
Majority Leader Tom DeLay accepted an expense-paid trip to South Korea
in 2001 from a registered foreign agent despite House rules that bar the
acceptance of travel expenses from foreign agents, according to government
documents and travel reports filed by the House members." ... "Justice
Department documents show that the Korea-U.S. Exchange Council, a business-financed
entity created with help from a lobbying firm headed by DeLay's former
chief of staff, registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act on
Aug. 22, 2001. DeLay; his wife, Christine; and two other Republican lawmakers
departed on a trip financed by the group on Aug. 25 of that year." (1,
2)
-By Mike Allen and R. Jeffrey Smith with contributions
by Lucy Shackelford and Madonna Lebling -WashingtonPost
-
- Austin
- Tom
DeLay
- "The
D.A. And Tom DeLay." ... "This case involves a political
action committee called “Texans for a Republican Majority” or TRMPAC, chaired
by Tom DeLay and run by some of his closest associates. " ... "[Austin,
Texas district attorney Ronnie] Earle contends that TRMPAC raised money
illegally from corporations during the 2002 state elections in Texas."
... ""It's an ancient equation: money for power, power for money," says
Earle." ... "So far, Earle has obtained indictments against eight corporations,
in addition to the three people close to DeLay. The charges include multiple
counts of money laundering and the illegal use of corporate contributions."
... "What about DeLay? Is Earle looking at him?" ... ""We're following
the truth. And wherever that leads, that's where we'll go," says Earle."
... "The corporate fundraising, says Earle, was done to elect Republicans
to the Texas legislature so they could redistrict the state and ensure
that more Republicans would be elected to the house in Washington."
-CBSNews
-
-
- Oklahoma
- Tom
DeLay -
- "Donors
to DeLay fund put on ethics panel: Democrats condemn
GOP’s removal of Republican chairman." ... "Two donors to House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay's defense fund were named Wednesday to the House ethics
committee, which twice last year admonished the Texas Republican." ...
"In a shake-up of the bipartisan panel that critics called part of a purge
and a “shutdown” of ethics enforcement, Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois
Republican, also replaced the ethics chairman, Joel Hefley, a Colorado
Republican, with Washington state Republican Doc Hastings, who was already
on the panel." ... "Hastert appointed to the panel Republican Reps. Lamar
Smith of Texas and Tom Cole of Oklahoma. Both have donated to a defense
fund DeLay created in 2000 after Democrats filed a civil racketeering suit
— later dismissed with the agreement of both sides — over his fund-raising
network." -Reuters
via -MSNBC
-
-
- Tom
DeLay
- "GOP
Pushes Rule Change to Protect DeLay's Post." ...
"House Republicans proposed changing their rules last night to allow members
indicted by state grand juries to remain in a leadership post, a move that
would benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in case he is charged
by a Texas grand jury that has indicted three of his political associates,
according to GOP leaders." ... "House Republicans adopted the indictment
rule in 1993, when they were trying to end four decades of Democratic control
of the House, in part by highlighting Democrats' ethical lapses. They said
at the time that they held themselves to higher standards than prominent
Democrats such as then-Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (Ill.),
who eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to prison."
-By Charles Babington -WashingtonPost
Tom
DeLay -
- "Ethics
Panel Rebukes DeLay: Majority Leader Offered Favor
To Get Peer's Vote." ... "The House ethics committee admonished Majority
Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) last night for offering a political favor to
a Michigan lawmaker in exchange for the member's vote on last year's hard-fought
Medicare prescription drug bill." ... "After a six-month investigation,
the committee concluded that DeLay had told Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) he
would endorse the congressional bid of Smith's son if the congressman gave
GOP leaders a much-needed vote in a contentious pre-dawn roll call on Nov.
22." -By Charles Babington -WashingtonPost
Rove
- Abramoff
- 
Ralston
- DeLay
- 
Norquist
- 
Reed
- Scanlon
- Money
- Religion
- Government- Law
- Politics
- Texas
- 2004
Election - History
- "K
Street Stumble." ... "As [Republican] presidential
adviser Karl Rove set up shop in the West Wing in 2001, he was looking
for an assistant to serve as the trusted gatekeeper of his new fiefdom.
Superlobbyist and Republican fundraiser Jack Abramoff was happy to lend
a hand. Abramoff knew just the right person for the job: his own assistant,
Susan Ralston. She interviewed with Rove and got the position." ... "For
a staunch conservative and smooth GOP operative like Abramoff, losing a
valuable aide was well worth the opportunity to ingratiate himself with
the president's senior political adviser." ... "An active fundraiser for
George W. Bush's 2000 election race, Abramoff has done even better in the
2004 campaign, raising more than $100,000 and becoming an elite "Pioneer"
in the president's re-election drive. For years, Abramoff has been a generous
donor and key fundraiser for powerful GOP members of Congress, notably
House Majority Leader [Republican]
Tom DeLay, R-Texas. In the 2004
election cycle, Abramoff and his wife, Pam, have contributed $83,000 to
Republicans, landing themselves at No. 93 on the nationwide list of individuals
who have donated to either political party, according to the nonpartisan
Center for Responsive Politics. Nine other Washington lobbyists are higher
on that list." ... "For almost a quarter-century, Abramoff has counted
among his friends and allies anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and grassroots
strategist and former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed. An Orthodox
Jew, Abramoff has moved easily in conservative circles since the early
1980s, when he was chairman of the College Republican National Committee."
... "On March 2, Abramoff abruptly resigned from [lobbying law firm] Greenberg
Traurig, and now he's embroiled in what's shaping up as a legal and political
fight to salvage his reputation." ... "When asked about Abramoff's troubles,
DeLay distanced himself, telling reporters, "If anybody is trading on my
name to get clients or to make money, that is wrong and they should stop
it immediately."" ... "One reason for the touchiness is that the controversy
has also ensnared Michael Scanlon, a former aide to DeLay who worked with
Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig before setting up his own grassroots firm,
Capital Campaign Strategies." -By Peter H. Stone
-NationalJournal
Tom
DeLay
- "Charity
Tied to DeLay Is Questioned: Group Asks Lawmakers
To Demand Ethics Probe." ... "A public advocacy group yesterday asked each
House member to request an ethics inquiry into a charitable organization
linked to Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), the latest step in a quickening
pace of ethics complaints and reactions in Congress." ... "Democracy 21
contends that the charity, Celebrations for Children Inc., is a political
scheme established to let DeLay raise huge sums from interest groups and
supporters to host lavish parties at this summer's Republican National
Convention." -By Charles Babington -WashingtonPost
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