Firm: Donation brought access to DeLay

[deminks]

By WAYNE SLATER / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – A company indicted in a Texas campaign fundraising case says it was told that by giving a Tom DeLay political committee $25,000, company officials would get access to the U.S. House majority leader to influence legislation.

In court documents, Westar Energy of Kansas says that to meet with Mr. DeLay in 2002, company officials "were told they needed to write a check for $25,000" to Texans for a Republican Majority, known as TRMPAC.

Westar attorney Martha Dickie declared in April in an Austin court that company officials hoped to win Mr. DeLay's help on pending energy legislation, according to transcripts in a lawsuit challenging the use of corporate money in Texas elections.

As a result of the contribution, two Westar executives attended a June 2002 golf outing with Mr. DeLay and two top aides at The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Va.

(end snip)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/070705dntextrmpac.7edd87c5.html

Will this one be the one? :banghead:

[warrens]

1. That should do it

That's influence peddling. Now they can break into all the accounts and if they find one dollar spent on DeLay's personal life, just ONE DOLLAR, he's fucked.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. What happened to all that campaign reform that Newtie was promising

us back in the 90s? How did things get so ruthless in a Texas style and size?

[Alizaryn]

2. Nice catch!

[hedda_foil]

4. Quid meet Quo.

[Ilsa]

5. I can see the execs kissing DeLay's ring

when they come in to see him and ask for favors after writing those huge checks.

The Texas godfather does it big.

[mom cat]

6. Another hole in the bottom of the boat!

[dArKeR]

7. Go to jail!

[mbperrin]

8. OOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPsssssssss!

Can't those Jayhawkers keep quiet??!!;)

[TahitiNut]

9. "An aide to Mr. DeLay denied that he was swayed by the donation."

So, he's a liar and a cheat!

" The provision sought by Westar was included in a House bill with Mr. DeLay's support but was ultimately withdrawn after a grand jury in Austin began investigating corporate fundraising in 2002 Texas legislative races."

Oh ... well, he's not a cheat if he then gave back the money. :evilgrin:

[paineinthearse]

10. Surprise, surprise!

I never realized the system worked that way :sarcasm:

[Robbien]

11. Firm(Westar Energy): Donation brought access to DeLay

By WAYNE SLATER / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – A company indicted in a Texas campaign fundraising case says it was told that by giving a Tom DeLay political committee $25,000, company officials would get access to the U.S. House majority leader to influence legislation.

. . .

Westar attorney Martha Dickie declared in April in an Austin court that company officials hoped to win Mr. DeLay's help on pending energy legislation, according to transcripts in a lawsuit challenging the use of corporate money in Texas elections. "They absolutely wanted an exemption to continue operating the business and to be grandfathered out of this federal legislation," she said in the hearing. "And maybe they were dumb about the way they went about getting it."

As a result of the contribution, two Westar executives attended a June 2002 golf outing with Mr. DeLay and two top aides at The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Va.

The provision sought by Westar was included in a House bill with Mr. DeLay's support but was ultimately withdrawn after a grand jury in Austin began investigating corporate fundraising in 2002 Texas legislative races.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/washington/stories/070705dntextrmpac.7edd87c5.html

[mcctatas]

12. Tom Delay is an unscrupulous corporate whore on our dime....

And this qualifies as breaking news?:shrug:

[Judi Lynn]

13. What are the chances the old districts could be retrieved

since it appeears the way the Republicans got enough power in the House to redraw boundary lines was through illegal funding? From the article:

TRMPAC raised $1.6 million for Republican statehouse candidates in 2002, including at least $600,000 from corporations.

Those funds helped Republicans complete their grasp on political power statewide, with the GOP taking a majority in the Texas House for the first time in more than a century. In turn, the Legislature redrew congressional districts to create several Republican seats, adding to Mr. DeLay's majority in the U.S. House.
(snip)

(*roach roar*)"Tom, I'm coming to get you."

[Algomas]

14. Hahaha...the rats are jumping overboard!!!

[Califooyah Operative]

15. AP: Energy Co. Paid $25,000 for DeLay Meeting

AP: Energy Co. Paid $25,000 for DeLay Meeting

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050707/ap_on_re_us/delay_fundraising

[Zorra]

16. "...by giving a Tom DeLay political committee $25,000

company officials would get access to the U.S. House majority leader"

All republicans are corrupt. Every last one of them.

[radfringe]

17. back in 2001

DeLay was also "SELLING" access to bush* for a "donation"

this came out around the time the sub hit the tour boat....

[Robbien]

18. and the Indians scammed by Abramoff also paid to talk to Bush

So this is the third time a report for access in exchange for donations has hit the corporate media. And it is the third time GOPers are denying the reality they are breaking the law.

[0007]

19. Tom Craddick, the Texas House Speaker will fall on this scam..

http://www.cleanuptexaspolitics.com/node/view/502

By CHRISTY HOPPE

AUSTIN – Rep. Tom Craddick and a pro-Republican group shared extensive phone calls, fundraisers, campaign checks and mutual promotion while the Midland lawmaker was pushing to become House speaker, a review of civil court records shows.

The contacts and cooperation between Mr. Craddick and Texans for a Republican Majority were so extensive that two experts on state campaign laws say that the ban on outside influence in speaker races may have been violated. Mr. Craddick's attorney said the activities were nowhere close to illegal......

more....

I wonder what this attorney shmuck would call legal?

[Lochloosa]

20. Kick to stay up w/ the bombings

My heart goes out to you in London...

[Pirate Smile]

21. Energy Co. Paid $25,000 for DeLay Meeting

AUSTIN, Texas - A Kansas energy company said it donated $25,000 so that it could attend a golf outing with U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to try to influence pending energy legislation.

The admission from Topeka, Kan.-based Westar Energy marks the first time a company has publicly admitted to donating to DeLay's political action committee in exchange for a meeting and possible legislative help.

In court documents obtained by The Dallas Morning News, Westar officials said after they made the donation, two company executives attended a June 2002 golf outing with DeLay and two top aides at The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Va.

Former DeLay aide Drew Maloney said DeLay's staff did not require that donations be given in exchange for access. The company claims it sent the money to talk with DeLay about getting an exemption in federal law, but not to affect legislative elections in Texas.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050707/ap_on_re_us/delay_fundraising_1

[yellowcanine]

22. Is that leaky faucet dripping a little faster???? Maybe it was just my

imagination. Anyway, no one cares about this now because terra is back on the front page.

[xynthee]

23. I care!!!

Recommended!!

[otohara]

24. Kick & Rate it Up

pigs in power

[mbperrin]

25. I care! London only gets bombed ever so often...we in Texas have

to put up with Delay EVERY DAY!!

And if you think people haven't died because of some of Delay's bullshit, you're not paying attention...