WaPost: Former DeLay Aide Enriched By Non-Profit (U.S. Family Network)

[Hissyspit]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/25/AR2006032501166.html

Former DeLay Aide Enriched By Nonprofit
Bulk of Group's Funds Tied to Abramoff

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 26, 2006; A01

A top adviser to former House Whip Tom DeLay 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 mostly drawn from clients of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to its records. From an FBI subpoena for the records, it can be inferred that the bureau is exploring whether there were links between the payments and favorable legislative treatment of Abramoff's clients by DeLay's office.

- snip -

The group's payments to the Buckhams -- in the form of a monthly retainer as well as commissions on donations by Abramoff's clients -- overlapped briefly with Edwin Buckham's service as chief of staff to DeLay and continued during his subsequent role as DeLay's chief political adviser. During this latter period, Buckham and his wife, Wendy, acting through their consulting firm, made monthly payments averaging $3,200-$3,400 apiece to DeLay's wife, Christine, for three of the years in which he collected money from the USFN and some other clients.

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[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Isn't DeLay STILL on or chief of the committee INVESTIGATING Abramoff?

They're just thumbing their noses at America.

[wordpix2]

2. these RWnuts love their "non-profits" & wives getting high paying jobs

[Mountainman]

17. It's why they worked so hard to get in power, to enrich themselves.

The repukes always say to the masses that they stand for honor and morality and low taxes and on and on yet that is just a con game. They use the masses to gain power to enrich themselves.

[killbotfactory]

3. fucking sleazebags

[PSPS]

4. $267,202 for "travel and entertainment?"

> ... $267,202 in travel and entertainment expenses that appear to have
> benefited mostly Buckham, the group's board members, and its tiny
> staff.

I guess the cost of those child-sex trips to Asia begin to add up after a while.

[rucky]

7. In all fairness, some of the money was spent

on lap dances.

[Hissyspit]

5. kick

[lovuian]

6. Their tentacles and web are everywhere!!!

News Media... Casinos ... you name it they got their fingers in it!!!

[sandnsea]

8. Kind of like Neil Bush

benefiting from Poppy's charity with Babs' money.

[truthisfreedom]

9. everything about bushco is about stealing money destined to help others.

look closely at his and his cronies' tactics.

[formercia]

11. Just like the 'Thousand Points of Light Foundation'

97% of donations went to 'overhead'.

[lostexpectation]

10. it says it on the tin: non-profit

[formercia]

18. non-profit means managers spend all the revenue on salaries n/t

[radfringe]

12. Dorothy Joan Morris "It's fishy."

---snip--- Here's something REAL interesting...

The board also agreed at its final meeting in January 2001 to pay $150,000 to the Dorothy Joan Morris Foundation.

The minutes state this was done at the request of "the gentleman who donated the largest amount of money to USFN" -- a term that Geeslin said is a euphemism for Buckham's fundraising.

Incorporation papers on file with the Maryland Secretary of State list the foundation's location as an insurance company office in a strip mall in Frederick.

The papers state that the foundation is in turn owned by another group, Foundation Ministries Inc., which has its legal address at the Frederick home of the Buckhams.

Dorothy Joan Morris is the name of the 79-year-old mother of a former Buckham assistant named Roger Albanese, who is described in USFN documents as collecting roughly $20,000 from the group for "program services related to prayer." She says she never authorized the use of her name for the foundation, was never told about the $150,000 donation and never saw any of the proceeds.

"What rights does he have to put that in my name?" asked Morris, who said she lives with her husband in a trailer home parked in Las Vegas. "It's fishy."

[Hissyspit]

22. THAT is real interesting, and Morris is more to the point: "It's fishy."

[BR_Parkway]

13. Criminal conspiracy, shouldn't RICO start kicking in now? Civil RICO

suits are sometimes persued, I don't know much about them, any DU lawyers want to jump in?

Don't we, the American taxpayers have a cause where we can show harm? We've paid for our politician's salaries, but we sure haven't gotten a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. Can't we bring suit for recovery and damages?

[UpInArms]

14. K & R!

:kick:

Corruption runs deep and wide within the GOPpiggie party.

[Eugene]

15. Very interesting.

Page 2 of the article goes over the lurid details, starting with this gem:

DeLay supported the interests of many USFN donors on Capitol Hill...

The FBI may have the Bugman with the goods on him. :popcorn: :popcorn:

:kick: and recommend.

[Ian David]

16. In fairness, the money did go to strengthen Edwin A. Buckham's family

[Hissyspit]

19. kick

[mitchum]

20. What is the nature of a contemporary republican?

To be a lying, thieving scumbag

[williesgirl]

21. How do these crooks quality for "non-profit"? Isn't there an audit or

anything to require them to actually do some good? If they lie about qualifying for tax-exempt status or actually don't fulfill their charter, isn't there recourse for criminal charges as well as forcing them to repay every crooked cent?

At this rate, why can't every American set themselves up as a "non-profit", funnel every expense thru them and not pay any taxes as a result?

[Hissyspit]

23. To scam the system.

You would think they wouldn't want to be like that since they think the mythical "Cadillac welfare mom" is so bad.

[goforit]

24. It was just charity!