Title: Tom DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Scheme
earthmother - September 28, 2005 04:59 PM (GMT)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/28/delay.in...n.ap/index.html
Texas grand jury indicts Tom DeLay
House majority leader, 2 associates charged with conspiracy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader.
DeLay's attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay's national political committee.
House GOP rules require any member of the elected leadership to step down temporarily if indicted, and it would be up to the rank and file to select an interim replacement.
Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, could make a recommendation, whether choosing to elevate another member of the leadership or tapping an alternative to reduce the possibility of a struggle if DeLay were cleared and then sought to reclaim his post.
DeLay, a Texas Republican, said Tuesday that prosecutors have interviewed him. He has insisted he committed no crimes and says Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, was pursuing the case for political reasons.
Before the recent conspiracy counts, the investigation was more narrowly focused on the state election code. By expanding the charges to include conspiracy, prosecutors made it possible for the grand jury to bring charges against DeLay. Otherwise, the grand jury would have lacked jurisdiction under state laws.
The 11-term congressman has served as No. 2 in the House GOP leadership for three years, credited with maintaining iron discipline within the party and keeping Republicans in control of the chamber. He has retained the loyalty of most party members despite running into ethical problems last year.
In a rare rebuke of a House leader, the House ethics committee admonished DeLay three times for pressuring a fellow congressman, involving the Federal Aviation Administration in a political dispute and discussing energy legislation with lobbyists at a golf outing.
The grand jury's finale coincides with a wide swath of political trouble for the GOP. Ethical questions have been raised about stock sales by the Republican leader of the Senate, Bill Frist, of Tennessee. And President Bush, an uneasy ally of DeLay, faces the lowest approval ratings of his presidency.
The Texas grand jury has charged that corporate donations given to Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee -- formed by DeLay -- were used to support state candidates in violation of state law. Texas law prohibits corporate money to be used to advocate the election or defeat of candidates; it is allowed only for administrative expenses.
Once DeLay helped Republicans win control of the state Legislature in 2002, the majority leader engineered a Republican redistricting plan that helped give the state's U.S. House delegation a 21-11 majority in the current Congress. The effort helped Republicans increase their House margin by five seats this year.
Texas grand jury indicts Tom DeLay
House majority leader, 2 associates charged with conspiracy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader.
DeLay's attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay's national political committee.
House GOP rules require any member of the elected leadership to step down temporarily if indicted, and it would be up to the rank and file to select an interim replacement.
Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, could make a recommendation, whether choosing to elevate another member of the leadership or tapping an alternative to reduce the possibility of a struggle if DeLay were cleared and then sought to reclaim his post.
DeLay, a Texas Republican, said Tuesday that prosecutors have interviewed him. He has insisted he committed no crimes and says Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, was pursuing the case for political reasons.
Before the recent conspiracy counts, the investigation was more narrowly focused on the state election code. By expanding the charges to include conspiracy, prosecutors made it possible for the grand jury to bring charges against DeLay. Otherwise, the grand jury would have lacked jurisdiction under state laws.
The 11-term congressman has served as No. 2 in the House GOP leadership for three years, credited with maintaining iron discipline within the party and keeping Republicans in control of the chamber. He has retained the loyalty of most party members despite running into ethical problems last year.
In a rare rebuke of a House leader, the House ethics committee admonished DeLay three times for pressuring a fellow congressman, involving the Federal Aviation Administration in a political dispute and discussing energy legislation with lobbyists at a golf outing.
The grand jury's finale coincides with a wide swath of political trouble for the GOP. Ethical questions have been raised about stock sales by the Republican leader of the Senate, Bill Frist, of Tennessee. And President Bush, an uneasy ally of DeLay, faces the lowest approval ratings of his presidency.
The Texas grand jury has charged that corporate donations given to Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee -- formed by DeLay -- were used to support state candidates in violation of state law. Texas law prohibits corporate money to be used to advocate the election or defeat of candidates; it is allowed only for administrative expenses.
Once DeLay helped Republicans win control of the state Legislature in 2002, the majority leader engineered a Republican redistricting plan that helped give the state's U.S. House delegation a 21-11 majority in the current Congress. The effort helped Republicans increase their House margin by five seats this year.
ap215 - September 28, 2005 05:00 PM (GMT)
This brings music to my ears oh happy day. Bye Bye Tom. :clap:
earthmother - September 28, 2005 05:04 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| DeLay, a Texas Republican, said Tuesday that prosecutors have interviewed him. He has insisted he committed no crimes and says Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, was pursuing the case for political reasons. |
Hmmm. I don't suppose that was what was going on with Ken Starr and the Clintons, do you? <_<
ap215 - September 28, 2005 05:10 PM (GMT)
Hey guys wanna see a photo of DeLay in handcuffs hehehehe.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/28/124910/143 :lol:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/28/124910/143 :lol:
earthmother - September 28, 2005 06:17 PM (GMT)
Thought I'd make it easier for everyone, ap215, and just post it here. It's too good to miss. :lol:
Slimeball. <_<
Slimeball. <_<
modom - September 28, 2005 06:24 PM (GMT)
Folks, THEY GOT HIM!!! Who's next??? Karl Rove???
earthmother - September 28, 2005 06:28 PM (GMT)
He hasn't been convicted yet, just indicted.
earthmother - September 28, 2005 06:58 PM (GMT)
BTW, ap215. I couldn't stand having two different threads for this topic, so I merged mine with yours. Hope you don't mind. :clap:
ap215 - September 28, 2005 08:28 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (earthmother @ Sep 28 2005, 12:58 PM) |
| BTW, ap215. I couldn't stand having two different threads for this topic, so I merged mine with yours. Hope you don't mind. :clap: |
Not at all earthmother i don't mind at all after all it is a happy day for everyone especially for our friends in Texas who are just sick of DeLay.
ALGOREismylife - September 28, 2005 09:26 PM (GMT)
Did you see DeLay on CNN, insisting he did nothing wrong??? The barfbag is trying to lie his way out of it. Sickening. Why do I feel he will pay someone off and just walk away totally free of any wrongdoing??? God, I hope I'm wrong.
earthmother - September 28, 2005 09:31 PM (GMT)
We'll see if he gets away with it. Nancy Pelosi and other Dems. are all over this, saying how it's more evidence of how corrupt the Republican Party is. My favorite thing, though, is DeLay's claim that this is just the work of a partisan prosecutor. Do they really not see that that's what they did to the Clinton's? And Clinton's "crimes" were child's play compared to this. Does this guy really not smell his own shit?
ALGOREismylife - September 28, 2005 09:53 PM (GMT)
Well, the lying bastard got away with his part in stolen election 2000. I sure everyone remembers this crap. :angry:
http://archive.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=181
10. The Republican Criminals Who Shut Down the Miami-Dade Recount
These are some of the thugs who staged a riot at the Miami canvassing board and shut down the recount. Most of these thugs are present or past employees of Congressional Republicans. The riot was led by Rep. John Sweeney of upstate NY. All of these thugs - and their Congressional bosses, led by Tom DeLay - should be prosecuted for criminally interfering with a federal election.
2005 Update: (Al Kamen, Washington Post 1/24/05)
No. 1. Tom Pyle, who had worked for Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), went private sector a few months later, getting a job as director of federal affairs for Koch Industries.
No. 2. Garry Malphrus, a former staff director of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on criminal justice, is now deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
No. 3. Rory Cooper, who was at the National Republican Congressional Committee, later worked at the White House Homeland Security Council and was seen last week working for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
No. 6. Matt Schlapp, a former House aide and then a Bush campaign aide, has risen to be White House political director.
No. 7. Roger Morse, another House aide, moved on to the law and lobbying firm Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. "I was also privileged to lead a team of Republicans to Florida to help in the recount fight," he told a legal trade magazine in a 2003 interview.
No. 8. Duane Gibson, an aide on the House Resources Committee, was a solo lobbyist and formerly with the Greenberg Traurig lobby operation. He is now with the Livingston Group as a consultant.
No. 9. Chuck Royal was and still is a legislative assistant to Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a former House member.
No. 10. Layna McConkey Peltier, who had been a Senate and House aide and was at Steelman Health Strategies during the effort, is now at Capital Health Group.
(We couldn't find No. 4, Kevin Smith, a former GOP House aide who later worked with Voter.com, or No. 5, Steven Brophy, a former GOP Senate aide and then at consulting firm KPMG. If you know what they are doing these days, please e-mail shackelford@washpost.comso we can update our records.)
Sources say the "rioters" proudly note their participation on résumés and in interviews.
http://archive.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=181
10. The Republican Criminals Who Shut Down the Miami-Dade Recount
These are some of the thugs who staged a riot at the Miami canvassing board and shut down the recount. Most of these thugs are present or past employees of Congressional Republicans. The riot was led by Rep. John Sweeney of upstate NY. All of these thugs - and their Congressional bosses, led by Tom DeLay - should be prosecuted for criminally interfering with a federal election.
2005 Update: (Al Kamen, Washington Post 1/24/05)
No. 1. Tom Pyle, who had worked for Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), went private sector a few months later, getting a job as director of federal affairs for Koch Industries.
No. 2. Garry Malphrus, a former staff director of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on criminal justice, is now deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
No. 3. Rory Cooper, who was at the National Republican Congressional Committee, later worked at the White House Homeland Security Council and was seen last week working for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
No. 6. Matt Schlapp, a former House aide and then a Bush campaign aide, has risen to be White House political director.
No. 7. Roger Morse, another House aide, moved on to the law and lobbying firm Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. "I was also privileged to lead a team of Republicans to Florida to help in the recount fight," he told a legal trade magazine in a 2003 interview.
No. 8. Duane Gibson, an aide on the House Resources Committee, was a solo lobbyist and formerly with the Greenberg Traurig lobby operation. He is now with the Livingston Group as a consultant.
No. 9. Chuck Royal was and still is a legislative assistant to Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a former House member.
No. 10. Layna McConkey Peltier, who had been a Senate and House aide and was at Steelman Health Strategies during the effort, is now at Capital Health Group.
(We couldn't find No. 4, Kevin Smith, a former GOP House aide who later worked with Voter.com, or No. 5, Steven Brophy, a former GOP Senate aide and then at consulting firm KPMG. If you know what they are doing these days, please e-mail shackelford@washpost.comso we can update our records.)
Sources say the "rioters" proudly note their participation on résumés and in interviews.
ap215 - September 28, 2005 10:42 PM (GMT)
Howard Dean is going to talk about the DeLay scandal tonight on Nightline.
JamesAquila - September 29, 2005 01:04 AM (GMT)
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
"Don't let he cell door hit you in the ass Mr. Hammer."
"Don't let he cell door hit you in the ass Mr. Hammer."
SilverApples - September 30, 2005 06:34 PM (GMT)
I can't help it- I'm grinning ear to ear. I've been praying that justice would catch up to that shadowy toad for so long. I do hope he's convicted, that's for sure... :clap: :lol: :clap: :lol: :clap: :lol: :clap:
Garden Stater - October 2, 2005 05:00 PM (GMT)
A good piece on this by the good people at NPR :)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4933002
Grand Jury Foreman Discusses DeLay Case
to this story... by Wade Goodwyn
Weekend Edition - Sunday, October 2, 2005 ˇ The leader of the Texas grand jury that indicted Rep. Tom DeLay says jurors were presented abundant evidence. Included were testimony and phone records supporting the single conspiracy charge against the powerful Republican leader.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4933002
Grand Jury Foreman Discusses DeLay Case
to this story... by Wade GoodwynWeekend Edition - Sunday, October 2, 2005 ˇ The leader of the Texas grand jury that indicted Rep. Tom DeLay says jurors were presented abundant evidence. Included were testimony and phone records supporting the single conspiracy charge against the powerful Republican leader.