Quick 'n Easy guide to DeLay scandals

[katinmn]

http://www.democrats.org/specialreports/delaycasefile/index.html

The Westar Scandal
In 2002, executives at Kansas energy company Westar wrote a memo outlining how they could purchase a "seat at the table" with $56,500 in contributions to political committees associated with Tom DeLay and the GOP. DeLay was later admonished by the House Ethics Committee for creating the appearance of impropriety.

The House Medicare Vote Bribery Scandal
Tom DeLay and the Republican leadership kept open the vote for the Medicare bill for three hours -- long past the 15 minutes specified in House procedures -- in order to pressure Republicans to vote for the bill. Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI) said GOP leaders offered "bribes and special deals," leading to an investigation by the Ethics Committee, which admonished DeLay.

The Texas Redistricting Scandal
When DeLay and his fellow Republicans were redrawing the Congressional districts in Texas to push Democrats out of the House, he used the Federal Aviation Administration to try and track a plane containing Democratic state legislators. The House Ethics Committee investigated DeLay's actions and once again admonished him.

The K Street Scandal
Tom DeLay has pushed lobbying firms to deny jobs to Democrats, and hire only Republicans, resulting in another Ethics Committee admonishment for inappropriately pushing a lobbying firm to hire a former GOP congressman. DeLay has pressured GOP lobbyists to make contributions to Republican candidates and the RNC.

The TRMPAC Scandal
In Texas, it's illegal for corporations to make donations to fund political campaigns. So Tom DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee (TRMPAC) took $190,000 in corporate contributions and funneled them to the RNC, which then donated exactly $190,000 to TRMPAC-supported candidates. DeLay and TRMPAC are currently under investigation by a grand jury.

The Travel Scandal
An investigation by the Justice Department showed that Tom DeLay accepted a trip financed by the Korea-U.S. Exchange Council, breaking House rules that prohibit accepting travel expenses from "a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal."

The Ethics Committee Scandal
Knowing that he faced investigation for a growing pile of scandals, Tom DeLay and the GOP House leadership purged the Ethics Committee of Republicans -- including Chairman Joel Hefley (R-CO) -- who weren't willing to overlook charges against DeLay, replacing them with members loyal to the leadership. They then changed the Committee rules to make it more difficult to begin investigations. Democrats on the Committee have refused to take any action in protest until the rules are restored.

[styersc]

1. Thanks so very much for this.

Any one who was poorly prepared to argue with right wing-nuts is now properly armed.

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. Kick for a great little outline

nt

[styersc]

3. I see your kick and raise you one.

.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

4. Does anyone know the answer to this?

The K Street Scandal
Tom DeLay has pushed lobbying firms to deny jobs to Democrats, and hire only Republicans, resulting in another Ethics Committee admonishment for inappropriately pushing a lobbying firm to hire a former GOP congressman. DeLay has pressured GOP lobbyists to make contributions to Republican candidates and the RNC.


Who was the "former GOP congressman"? I thought they had to be out of office a year, otherwise lobbying is illegal.

[katinmn]

5. I think you're right. Check this out

http://www.publicdomainprogress.info/2004/11/k-street-projectors-for-corporate.html

[BlackVelvetElvis]

7. Rod Chandler

left his congressional seat in 1992. Was he lobbying within a year of leaving? Then it's illegal.

[DemoTex]

6. Ed Helms (The Daily Show) said Bu$h has a huge pair of balls.

But relatively speaking, Delay's are much bigger.


Tom Delay
(thanks BartCop)

[katinmn]

10. Oh my.

castrate him already!

[CBHagman]

8. Don't forget the sweatshops.

Check out these stories, which deserve to get some attention in light of DeLay's attempt to portray himself as the champion of the vulnerable:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_13-5-2002_pg3_8

"Bills to bring the Northern Marianas under mainland minimum wage or immigration laws have extensive support in Congress but have been blocked by the House Republican whip, Tom DeLay. Authorities in Saipan have argued that the island is being unfairly singled out when harsh working conditions can also be found in California and New York. There are sweatshops on the mainland, but in Saipan they enjoy official backing." —NYT, May 11, 2002

OFFICIAL backing for sweatshops, thanks to His Satanic Majesty himself.

And see this:

http://howtobuyamerican.com/content/ba-morenews.shtml

And this:

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2523164

http://csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/durableRedirect.pl?/durable/1998/01/13/us/us.1.html

"House majority whip Tom DeLay (R) of Texas got some unwanted attention over the holidays when he, his family, and three staff aides took an all-expenses-paid trip to the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific. The islands are involved in a high-profile lobbying campaign to keep their exemption from federal wage, labor, and immigration standards. Critics, including the Clinton administration, charge that the islands are exploiting Filipino and Chinese workers in garment sweatshops for low wages. Because of the Marianas' status, the clothing, worth millions, bears the 'Made in USA' label. The Marianas' government spent as much as $1.5 million lobbying Congress in 1997, Roll Call reports. Including the DeLay entourage, a total of 88 congressional visitors visited the islands last year (including seven lawmakers, five spouses, one child, and 75 staffers), the newspaper says. In a Houston Chronicle interview, Representative DeLay derided the Marianas' critics in the administration as bureaucrats with a "leftist bent" who want to keep the islands 'dependent' on federal aid. The newspaper quoted him as calling the Saipan garment industry a "free-market success," and reported DeLay found that the workers he spoke with, who make at most $3.05 an hour, were reasonably satisfied with their work and were making more than they would in their native China or the Philippines. DeLay called for creation of a similar guest-worker program in the 50 states, 'where particular companies can bring Mexican workers in' at 'whatever the wage market will bear.'"

Notice how the free market is, for DeLay, god; human decency and community values play no part in all this.


Please, people, if you have to, forward the links to people you know who might not be aware of just what DeLay is and how deep his misanthropy and hypocrisy run. I have chosen stories that are not necessarily linked to the Democratic Party, so as to help nudge the minds of those who might be tempted to see DeLay's ruin as a partisan witch hunt. It never was that.

[katinmn]

9. Thanks for the links. Most impressive. More ammo:

Please read the "Daily DeLay" blog. This thief thinks he's impervious to everything.

We're close to finally get rid of this guy.

Let's show him the door.

http://dailydelay.blogspot.com/2005/03/tom-delay-bring-it-on.html

[katinmn]

11. 10 reasons why Tom DeLay should resign from Congress

http://www.pcactionfund.org/withoutdelay/facts/

1. Tom DeLay violates ethics rules at will, making him a national embarrassment. Indeed, he has earned four formal ethics violations, a truly rare achievement, as only five Members of Congress have been chastised by the committee in the last six years.

2. Tom DeLay embodies the worst of pay-to-play politics – he puts big donors like Enron ahead of the rest of us.

3. Tom DeLay abuses his position as House Majority Leader to trample on the legislative process and stretches the rules of campaign fundraising far as he can.

4. Tom DeLay accepted travel expenses from a registered foreign agent, in apparent violation of House rules.

5. Tom DeLay used illegal corporate contributions to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Texas voters with his anti-democratic re-districting scheme.

6. Tom DeLay uses tax dollars and government resources for partisan political gain.

7. Tom DeLay opposes any reasonable campaign finance laws, even disclosure of donations.

8. Tom DeLay shakes down small business owners for campaign contributions.

9. Tom DeLay received all expenses-paid junket from a lobbyist accused of bilking tens of millions of dollars from six Native American tribes.

10. Tom DeLay believes he is above the law.

[OneTwentyoNine]

12. Here's some more....Delay and Westar here in Kansas were in bed..

http://earthhopenetwork.net/Energy_Co_Bribery_Scandal_May_Threaten_Congressmen.htm


"In order to duck the prying eyes of SEC investigators, Westar lobbyist Richard Borneman recommended a menu of contributions to powerful Republican lawmakers."

The two guys running Westar at the time are both up on Federal charges and have been to court once. I know one part of that energy bill would have allowed nuke plants like the once we have in Kansas to raise rates because of supposed Homeland Security improvements to the plant,yet they wouldn't have to disclose to ANYONE what they improved or if they improved anything. That fucking crook needs to go down,and go down hard....