Tom DeLay's House of Shame - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com

Tom DeLay's House of Shame
Congress has always had its share of extremists. But the DeLay era is the first time the fringe has ever been in charge.
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By Jonathan Alter
Newsweek
Oct. 10, 2005 issue - A decade ago, I paid a call on Tom DeLay in his ornate office in the Capitol. I had heard a rumor about him that I figured could not possibly be true. The rumor was that after the GOP took control of the House that year, DeLay had begun keeping a little black book with the names of Washington lobbyists who wanted to come see him. If the lobbyists were not Republicans and contributors to his power base, they didn't get into "the people's House." DeLay not only confirmed the story, he showed me the book. His time was limited, DeLay explained with a genial smile. Why should he open his door to people who were not on the team?

Thus began what historians will regard as the single most corrupt decade in the long and colorful history of the House of Representatives. Come on, you say. How about all those years when congressmen accepted cash in the House chamber and then staggered onto the floor drunk? Yes, special interests have bought off members of Congress at least since Daniel Webster took his seat while on the payroll of a bank. And yes, Congress over the years has seen dozens of sex scandals and dozens of members brought low by financial improprieties. But never before has the leadership of the House been hijacked by a small band of extremists bent on building a ruthless shakedown machine, lining the pockets of their richest constituents and rolling back popular protections for ordinary people. These folks borrow like banana republics and spend like Tip O'Neill on speed.

I have no idea if DeLay has technically broken the law. What interests me is how this moderate, evenly divided nation came to be ruled on at least one side of Capitol Hill by a zealot. This is a man who calls the Environmental Protection Agency "the Gestapo of government" and favors repealing the Clean Air Act because "it's never been proven that air toxins are hazardous to people"; who insists repeatedly that judges on the other side of issues "need to be intimidated" and rejects the idea of a separation of church and state; who claims there are no parents trying to raise families on the minimum wage—that "fortunately, such families do not exist" (at least Newt Gingrich was intrigued by the challenges of poverty); who once said: "A woman can't take care of the family. It takes a man to provide structure." I could go on all day. Congress has always had its share of extremists. But the DeLay era is the first time the fringe has ever been in charge.

The only comparison to DeLay Co. might be the Radical Republicans of the 1860s. But the 19th-century Radical Republican agenda was to integrate and remake the South. The 21st-century Radical Republican agenda is to enact the wish list of the tobacco and gun lobbies, repeal health and safety regulations and spend billions on shameless pork-barrel projects to keep the GOP at the trough. Another analogy is to Republican Speaker Joe Cannon, who ran the House with an iron fist a century ago. But Cannon had to contend with Progressive Republicans who eventually stripped him of his power. DeLay's ruling radical conservative claque remains united, at least for now.

Comparisons with fellow Texan Sam Rayburn fall short, too. Rayburn was respected on both sides of the aisle for his rock-solid integrity. He and most other House speakers carefully balanced their support for corporate interests like the oil depletion allowance with at least some sense of the public good. And they had to share much of their power with committee chairmen. Today, seniority is much less important. Chairmen are term-limited (six years) or tossed if they displease DeLay. And this crowd views "the public interest" as strictly for liberal pantywaists.

How have they succeeded? A new book, "Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy," by Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson, explains how the GOP is simply better than the Democratic Party at the basic blocking and tackling of politics, including the exploitation of cultural and religious issues. The authors argue that even if DeLay goes down, the zealotry and corporate shilling will continue as long as the GOP controls the House. Consider DeLay's temporary replacement, Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt. The Washington Post reported last week that Blunt is respected by Republican members in part because he has "strong ties to the Washington lobbying community." That's a qualification for office?

The only reason the House hasn't done even more damage is that the Senate often sands down the most noxious ideas, making the bills merely bad, not disastrous. What next for the House of Shame? If DeLay's acquitted, he'll be back in power. If he's convicted, his proteges will continue his work. Reform efforts by fiscal conservatives determined to curb their borrow-and-spend colleagues are probably doomed. The only way to get rid of the termites eating away the people's House is to stamp them out at the next election

DeLAY ARRESTED..MUGSHOT

Texas Court Issues Warrant for DeLay

Texas Court Issues Warrant for DeLay

Wednesday October 19, 2005 11:46 PM


AP Photo NY117

By SUZANNE GAMBOA

Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A state court issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday for Rep. Tom DeLay, requiring him to appear in Texas for booking on state conspiracy and money laundering charges.

The court set an initial $10,000 bail as a routine step before the Texas Republican's first court appearance Friday.

DeLay, R-Texas, could be fingerprinted and photographed, although his lawyers had hoped to avoid this step. DeLay probably will surrender in his home county of Fort Bend, near Houston, but he could go to any law enforcement office in Texas. His court appearance will be in Austin.

The warrant, known as a capias, is ``a matter of routine and bond will be posted,'' said DeLay's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin.

DeLay has stepped down as U.S. House majority leader - at least temporarily - under a Republican rule requiring him to relinquish the post if charged with a felony.

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.

The indictments charge that a DeLay-founded Texas political committee sent corporate donations to the Republican National Committee in Washington, and the national party sent funds back to the state for 2002 campaigns.

DeLay has denied wrongdoing and accused Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle - a Democrat - of having partisan motives. Earle has denied the accusation.

Earle did not ask for the arrest warrant for DeLay, but approved the court's request, his office said Wednesday.

DeLay's Republican fund-raising in 2002 had major political consequences, allowing the GOP to take control of the Texas Legislature. The Legislature then redrew congressional boundaries according to a DeLay-inspired plan, took command of the state's U.S. House delegation and helped the GOP retain its House majority.


======SNIP=====
Maybe he can kill cockroaches in his cell, and renew his bug killer license!

DeLay Meeting, RNC Actions Coincided

DeLay Meeting, RNC Actions Coincided
By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 7, 2005; Page A05

Former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) met for at least 30 minutes with the top fundraiser of his Texas political action committee on Oct. 2, 2002, the same day that the Republican National Committee in Washington set in motion a series of financial transactions at the heart of the money-laundering and conspiracy case against DeLay.

During the meeting at his Capitol office, DeLay conferred with James W. Ellis, the head of his principal fundraising committee in Washington and his chief fundraiser in Texas. Ellis had earlier given the Republican National Committee a check for $190,000 drawn mostly from corporate contributions. The same day as the meeting, the RNC ordered $190,000 worth of checks sent to seven Republican legislative candidates in Texas.



Former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) is fighting charges in Texas. (By Larry Downing -- Reuters)

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In the past two weeks, two separate Texas grand juries have returned indictments against DeLay, Ellis and a political associate alleging that these transactions amounted to money laundering intended to circumvent a Texas campaign law barring the use of corporate funds for state election purposes. The aim of the alleged scheme was to ensure that Republicans gain control of the Texas House, and thus reorder the state's congressional districts in a manner favoring the election of more Republicans to Congress.

The prosecutor who brought the indictment, Ronnie Earle, has not described the evidence he presented to the grand jury linking DeLay to the $190,000 transactions. But the fact that DeLay and his alleged co-conspirator, fundraiser Ellis, conferred on the same day the checks were ordered has attracted the attention of lawyers involved in the case because of speculation that the two men shared important information that day.

To prove that DeLay participated in money laundering or in a conspiracy to conduct it -- the two allegations in the felony indictment brought against DeLay on Monday morning -- Earle will have to prove two things, according to lawyers who are closely following the case: The transactions involving the $190,000 were illegal, and DeLay played some critical role, by approving them or by helping to carry them out.

DeLay and Ellis have so far given slightly different accounts of the substance of their discussion. Ellis's attorney, Jonathan D. Pauerstein, said that Ellis recalls that their Oct. 2 discussion did not concern or involve Texas or Texas candidates. But DeLay, interviewed last weekend on "Fox News Sunday," said that during a "scheduling meeting" with Ellis in October, Ellis said while they were leaving his office that "by the way, we sent money" to Washington.

DeLay's lead attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said in an interview this week that "there is no question that at some point Ellis told him," but that DeLay does not recall the precise timing. DeGuerin said "it could have been that day" -- Oct. 2, the day the same arm of the RNC began to process the seven checks for printing two days later, on Oct. 4.

But DeGuerin said that this does not mean DeLay was "the one who made those decisions" about collecting the funds, sending them to Washington and returning the same total amount to candidates in Texas. "It wasn't his role or his authority" because DeLay was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the committee.

Ellis, who still directs DeLay's Washington-based Americans for a Republican Majority political action committee (ARMPAC), "is the kind of guy who would say, 'I did this, how about that?' " according to DeGuerin. DeLay may have responded, DeGuerin said, by saying, "Hey, that's great," but "that does not make him a part of the agreement to do that."

In the indictment, the grand jury accused DeLay, Ellis and John Colyandro -- then the director of Texans for a Republican Majority, an ARMPAC offshoot -- of agreeing with the Republican National Committee to conduct the offense of money laundering and set forth a sequence of key events that began on Sept. 11, 2002. It alleges that Ellis "did request and propose" on that day that an arm of the RNC make the payments to Texas Republicans once it had received the check from Texas.

The next day, according to the indictment, Ellis delivered the check to the Republican National State Elections Committee, an arm of the RNC, and also provided it "with a document that contained the names of several candidates." He also "requested and proposed" how much each candidate should receive, the indictment said.

Earle has never disclosed the evidence behind these allegations, and Ellis, through his lawyer Pauerstein, denies this account. Pauerstein says that Ellis did not discuss donations to candidates while delivering the check, and that he did not "deliver the list, if there was a list," of the candidates that should receive checks.

According to documents disclosed earlier this year in a civil trial related to the same transactions, a staff member in the office of then-RNC Chairman Marc Racicot requested on Oct. 2 that checks be sent to the Texas Republicans. The next day, Racicot arrived in Texas to appear at a series of fundraising events organized by Texans for a Republican Majority, including a dinner with Gov. Rick Perry, a DeLay ally. With the approval of the RNC's lawyers and political directors, the checks were written and sent to Texas on Oct. 4.

The RNC has denied any wrongdoing and has asserted that all the transactions were legal.

Although the indictment alleges that DeLay and his two aides "conducted, supervised, and facilitated" the transactions, DeLay said last weekend, about the $190,000 sent from Texas to Washington, that "there was no way that I knew before this event happened that it would happen." Earle would need to prove otherwise to sustain his case.

DeLay, one of the most powerful politicians in Washington, was forced under House GOP rules to step down as majority leader on Sept. 28 after his first indictment.

EDITORIAL: DeLay, Blunt engaged in a convoluted money scheme

EDITORIAL: DeLay, Blunt engaged in a convoluted money scheme
EDITORIAL: DeLay, Blunt engaged in a convoluted money scheme

The Lufkin Daily News

Friday, October 07, 2005

We have no idea if former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is guilty of money laundering. The Hammer, as he is not-so-affectionately known, was indicted by a Travis County grand jury for funneling illegal donations from corporations to GOP political candidate in Texas elections.

What is clear is that both DeLay and Roy Blunt, who became majority leader when DeLay was forced to step down because of House rules, were engaged in a convoluted scheme to divert donations.

According to the Associated Press, both DeLay and Blunt diverted donations secretly collected to help fund Republican political convention parties to some of their own pet causes, often funneling money back and forth. In one case, money raised by DeLay's political-action committee was used to help Blunt's son in his successful campaign to become Missouri secretary of state. There are a number of other examples where money donated for one purpose was then transferred to another committee or campaign, and the donors were never told.

The government's former chief election enforcement lawyer, Lawrence Noble, said it's clear the intent was to "obscure, if not cover, the original source," according to the AP.

Indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff was also involved in this carousel of money-swapping. Investigator are trying to determine exactly who paid for a high-dollar golfing trip to Scotland and England that Abramoff arranged for DeLay in 2000.

Both Blunt and DeLay formed entities that would allow them to collect funds of any size and from any source without federal scrutiny. It was legal at the time but illustrates the pervasive nature of money in modern politics. For example, in 2000 DeLay's convention group sent $50,000 to Blunt's entity. Blunt's group then made a $10,000 to DeLay's children's charity and eventually paid $40,000 to a lobbying firm run by DeLay's former chief of staff. DeLay's wife worked at that lobbying firm, according to the AP.

Whether DeLay is convicted or not, Republicans would be wise to distance themselves from such convoluted money dealings. DeLay's fundraising tactics have often danced along the edge of what's ethical and legal, but his ability to get folks elected — especially in Texas — kept him in power. Certainly now, he's more of a liability than an asset to the GOP's hopes of keeping control of the House after next year's elections.

We've about given up on any type of realistic way of limiting campaign funding. Politicians in both parties just find more creative ways to get around whatever law is in place. About the best we can hope for is an increased demand for full, instant disclosure of all donations. That's certainly possible with the Internet. It will be up to the media and political watchdogs to make sure voters — and donors — know exactly how to follow the money trail.

Worldandnation: DeLay indicted on new charges

Worldandnation: DeLay indicted on new charges
AUSTIN, Texas - A Texas grand jury on Monday indicted Rep. Tom DeLay again on money laundering charges after the former majority leader attacked last week's indictment on technical grounds.

The new indictment contains two counts: conspiring to launder money and money laundering. The latter charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

The indictment accuses DeLay, R-Texas, 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.

A separate Travis County grand jury handed up indictments against DeLay - on a charge of conspiring to violate campaign finance laws - and his associates Wednesday, the last day of that grand jury's term.

DeLay, who stepped down as House majority leader last week, called the new charges an "abomination of justice" by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. It came just as DeLay's attorneys were filing a motion to dismiss the first charge against him because the law he was alleged to have broken was not in effect until 2003 - the year after the alleged money transfers.

"Ronnie Earle has stooped to a new low with his brand of prosecutorial abuse," DeLay said in a statement. "He is trying to pull the legal equivalent of a "do-over' since he knows very well that the charges he brought against me last week are totally manufactured and illegitimate."

University of Texas law professor George Dix, an expert in election legal matters, said Monday night that he thinks DeLay's attorneys are wrong in maintaining that the initial conspiracy complaint against DeLay was not valid in 2002.

The 2003 legislative session simply made explicit the somewhat "awkward language" of the law that already made it a criminal conspiracy to agree to violate election laws, Dix said. "I don't see any reason to think that, in 2002, it was not a crime of conspiracy to agree to violate the election code in a way that would be a felony," he said.

The judge who will preside in DeLay's case is out of the country on vacation and couldn't rule on the defense motion. Other state district judges declined to rule on the motion in his place.

Earle's office did not return repeated phone calls from the Associated Press.

The new indictment was issued as Bush administration officials confirmed news reports in London that the Justice Department had asked British police to question former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher about the circumstances of her meeting in 2000 with DeLay during a lavish trip to Britain organized by the Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The interview request was the first publicly disclosed evidence from the Justice Department that DeLay was under scrutiny in the department's wide-ranging corruption investigation of Abramoff.

=snip=======

DeLay...you "beeeeaatch"...take that!

GO RONNIE EARLE GO!
:)

Scoopt.org => USA => A second grand jury indicts DeLay

Scoopt.org => USA => A second grand jury indicts DeLay: "A second grand jury indicts DeLay "A second grand jury indicts DeLay

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.

Source: Boston Globe

DeLay Indicted - Again; Ties to Abramoff Also Under Investigation

DeLay Indicted - Again; Ties to Abramoff Also Under Investigation
DeLay Indicted - Again; Ties to Abramoff Also Under Investigation

The Washington Post reports that Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) has been indicted in Texas on two new charges, brought by a new grand jury on Monday. One count is conspiracy to commit money-laundering, charging that DeLay and his associates "did knowingly, conduct, supervise, and facilitate" the transfer from Texas to Washington DC back to Texas, a violation of the state's money-laundering laws.

According to the Post,
Both money-laundering crimes are more-serious felonies, and the maximum punishment is life in jail. DeLay has been forced by House rules to relinquish his post as majority leader, and the new indictments stand in the way of any quick reinstatement based on any legal flaws in last week's indictment...

Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice, said that "for a new grand jury to indict DeLay on a day's notice suggests the evidence of his participation is convincing."
Monday was the last day Ronnie Earle could bring this new indictment, because of the Texas statute of limitations on money laundering, according to Bloomberg.

DeLay and two associates, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, have been accused of accepting $190,000 in corporate money during the 2002 state legislative races, then sending the money to the Republican National Committee, along with a list of candidates to support. The RNC, in a quid pro quo, then contributed $190,000 to Texas legislative candidates, according to the charges. Texas election law prohibits corporate donations for political campaigns.

DeLay was censured by the House ethics committee three times last year. The Houston Chronicle reported Saturday that DeLay has troubles inside the beltway, as well:
Particularly worrisome for DeLay are a federal investigation into the dealings of Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist who had close ties to the Sugar Land Republican, and a House ethics committee examination of DeLay's trips and any other activities with Abramoff...

One of the people who reportedly has been talking with federal investigators probing Abramoff is Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay aide who later became a business associate of Abramoff in deals that led to the alleged bilking of $82 million from the Indian clients.

Scanlon could be a bridge between the SunCruz case and the Abramoff investigation in Washington, because he did public relations work for the Florida company and for Abramoff's Indian clients. He also could be a source of information on whether DeLay was improperly influenced by trips, gifts or campaign contributions.

DeLay Indicted Again in Connection With Fund Raising (Update1)

Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Representative Tom DeLay was indicted for the second time in less than a week by a Texas grand jury in connection with alleged campaign-fundraising abuses.

DeLay, 58, was charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering today. Under House of Representatives rules, he had to step down as majority leader, the No. 2 Republican post in that body, after the initial indictment handed up on Sept. 28 charged him with a single count of conspiracy.

Lawyers for DeLay earlier today had tried to get the conspiracy indictment thrown out, saying it wasn't applicable because the law making it illegal went into effect after the alleged infraction. The new charges followed. DeLay has denied any wrongdoing and called the latest charges brought Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle ``an abomination.''

Earle ``may be worried about the conspiracy indictment as being particularly weak,'' said Jan Baran, a lawyer at Wiley Rein & Fielding in Washington, referring to last week's indictment. While Baran hadn't read the second indictment, he said the first charge had gaps in evidence.

Earle couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

DeLay and two associates, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, are accused of taking $190,000 in corporate money for the 2002 state legislative races and sending it to the Republican National Committee, which in turn contributed $190,000 to Texas legislative candidates, according to the state. Under Texas election law, corporate donations cannot be spent on political campaigns.

Capturing Legislature

The Republicans captured control of the Texas legislature in 2002 for the first time since during the Reconstruction period that followed the U.S. Civil War. The new Republican majorities then redrew the congressional district lines without waiting for the next U.S. Census, helping the party increase its majority in the U.S. House.

The statute of limitations in Texas would have run out tomorrow on the money-laundering activities, so today was the last day Earle could bring the new indictment, Baran said. Dick DeGuerin, DeLay's attorney, said the latest grand jury was empaneled today and handed up the indictment five hours later.

``If we go to court, we're going to win,'' DeGuerin said tonight during a televised press conference from Sugar Land, Texas, DeLay's district. ``I thought this would be resolved quickly and Congressman DeLay would resume his leadership post. But obviously the game here is to keep Congressman DeLay out of his leadership post in Washington.''

`New Low'

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt was named majority leader on an acting basis after DeLay stepped down last week. DeLay said he would continue to advise the Republican leadership while fighting the charges against him.

``Ronnie Earle has stooped to a new low with his brand of prosecutorial abuse,'' DeLay said today in a statement. ``He is trying to pull the legal equivalent of a `do-over' since he knows very well that the charges he brought against me last week are totally manufactured and illegitimate. This is an abomination of justice.''

The law making conspiracy illegal didn't go into effect until Sept. 1, 2003, a year after the alleged actions took place, Baran said.

Today's indictment is the latest in a series of legal and ethical problems faced by DeLay. He was rebuked three times last year by the House ethics committee. He also had a close relationship with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is under investigation by a Justice Department-led task force.

From http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a_EB.E8oCfwE&refer=us
==SNIP=======
SNICKER SNICKER SNICKER...GUFFFFFAWWWW
LOLOLOLOL....READ THAT ONE ASSHOLE DELAY!