Tom DeLay

Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8 1947 in Laredo, Texas) is an American politician from Sugar Land, Texas and a prominent Republican.

Controversies and accusations

DeLay's defense of Quayle

In 1988, when questions were raised about then-Republican vice-presidential nominee Dan Quayle's apparent use of family connections to get into the Indiana National Guard and thus avoid possible combat service in the Vietnam War, DeLay reportedly defended Quayle by saying that he had tried to enlist himself at the same age, but was told ethnic minorities had already filled most of the available positions and there were none left for him.

Related Topics:
1988 - Dan Quayle - Indiana - National Guard - Vietnam War

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No one close to him could say whether he made any other attempt to serve, and later The Washington Post reported that he had received student deferments while at Baylor, gotten a high lottery number in 1969 and then gotten married prior to his 1970 graduation from Houston.

Related Topics:
The Washington Post - Student deferment - Baylor - 1969 - 1970 - Houston

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However, he had been asked to withdraw from Baylor for a semester and managed to keep his student deferment during that time, which has never been explained.

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Settlement in civil suit

In early 1999, as the House vote on impeaching president Bill Clinton approached (a vote DeLay had worked very hard to ensure would succeed), Anne-Louise Bardach http://www.tnr.com/archive/0299/021599/bardach021599.html at The New Republic picked up a story first reported by Houston-area alternative weeklies (http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=964) alleging that DeLay himself had committed perjury during a civil lawsuit brought against him by a former business partner in 1994.

Related Topics:
1999 - Impeaching - Bill Clinton - The New Republic - Perjury - 1994

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The plaintiff in that suit, Robert Blankenship, charged that DeLay and a third partner in Albo Pest Control had breached the partnership agreement by trying to force him out of the business without buying him out, and filed suit against DeLay, charging him and the other partner with breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, wrongful termination, loss of corporate expectancy, and injunctive relief. While being deposed in that suit, DeLay claimed that he didn't think he was an officer or director of Albo and believed he had resigned two or three years ago (http://www.americanpolitics.com/012999DISpatch.html). Yet his own congressional disclosure forms, including one filed subsequent to the deposition state that he was either president or chairman of the company between 1985 and 1994. The plaintiff also alleged that Albo money had been spent on DeLay's congressional campaigns, in violation of federal and state law.

Related Topics:
Plaintiff - Deposed - Director - 1985 - 1994

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DeLay and Blankenship settled for an undisclosed sum, and Blankenship's attorney told Bardach that had he known about the congressional disclosure forms, he would have referred the case to the Harris County district attorney's office for a perjury prosecution. These allegations have never been investigated and DeLay has never been charged.

Related Topics:
Harris County - District attorney

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Accusations of misconduct in Texas fundraising

After the 1990 census, Texas Democrats drew what some Republicans have argued was the most effective partisan gerrymander in the country. Although Congressional Texas Democrats only received an average of 40 percent of the votes of Congressional Texas Republicans, Democrats consistently had a majority in the state delegation. After the 2000 census, Republicans sought to redraw the district lines to support a GOP majority in the congressional delegation while Democrats desired to retain a plan similar to the existing lines. The two parties reached an impasse in the Texas Legislature, where Republicans controlled the Senate and Democrats controlled the House. As a result the new district lines were drawn by a federal court panel and largely retained the status quo.

Related Topics:
1990 - Census - Gerrymander - 2000 - GOP

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In 2001 the Texas Legislative Redistricting Board (a panel composed of the state's Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Speaker of the House, Attorney-General, and Land Commissioner) redrew state legislative districts in accordance with the census. The new map that was adopted by the Republican-dominated board gave the GOP an edge in winning the Texas House of Representatives, still controlled at that time by the Democrats. During the 2002 elections under these new maps, DeLay aggressively fundraised for Republican candidates under his Texans for a Republican Majority PAC (TRMPAC). It has since been alleged that TRMPAC was used to funnel illegal corporate donations into the campaigns of Republican candidates for State Representative. This allegation is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, which led to indictments against DeLay on September 28 2005.

Related Topics:
Texans for a Republican Majority - PAC - Travis County - Ronnie Earle - September 28 - 2005

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The GOP victories in 2002 resulted in their control of the Texas House in addition to the Senate. As a result, the Texas Legislature was called into session in 2003 to redistrict the state's congressional lines in favor of the Republican Party. A number of Democrats left the state, going to Oklahoma, and later New Mexico, to deny a quorum for voting. Helen Giddings, the recognized negotiator, was arrested in May of 2003, but later the arrest was called a mistake. Texas House Speaker Craddick apologized to Giddings and then ordered the Sergeant at Arms to incarcerate Giddings in the state capital buildings.

Related Topics:
Oklahoma - New Mexico - Helen Giddings

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On May 26 2005, a Texas judge ruled that a committee formed by DeLay had violated state law by not disclosing over $600,000 worth of fundraising money, mostly from the credit card industry, including $25,000 from Sears, Roebuck & Co.http://tx.cpusa.org/del16.htm, and $50,000 from Diversified Collections Services of San Leandro http://www.tpj.org/page_view.jsp?pageid=768. Some of the money was spent on manning phone banks and posting wanted posters on Federal Highways calling for the arrest of Democratic legislators with an 800 number to call if seen after the Democratic caucus left to Oklahoma in order to prevent redistricting legislation from passage. The Federal Highway Administration offered to cooperate in arresting the Democrats, forcing the Democrats to travel to Oklahoma by plane instead of by automobile.

Related Topics:
May 26 - 2005 - Texas - Caucus - Oklahoma - Redistricting

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On September 30, 2004, the House Ethics Committee unanimously admonished DeLay because he "offered to endorse Representative Smith's son in exchange for Representative Smith's vote in favor of the Medicare bill."http://www.house.gov/ethics/Medicare_Report.pdf

Related Topics:
September 30 - 2004 - House Ethics Committee - [Nick] Smith - Medicare bill

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On October 6, 2004, the House Ethics Committee unanimously admonished DeLay on two counts. The first count stated that DeLay "created the appearance that donors were being provided with special access to Representative DeLay regarding the then-pending energy legislation." The second count said that DeLay "used federal resources in a political issue" by asking the Federal Aviation Administration and Justice Department to help track Texas legislators during the battle over Texas redistricting.http://www.house.gov/ethics/DeLay_memo.htm

Related Topics:
October 6 - 2004 - Federal Aviation Administration - Justice Department

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The House Ethics committee at the time of the latter admonishment deferred action on another count related to fund raising while that matter was subject to state criminal action. That state investigation eventually led to the felony indictment on September 28, 2005.

Related Topics:
September 28 - 2005

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On August 11 2005, the Federal Elections Commission audited Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee, a PAC founded by DeLay, and found that it failed to report more than $300,000 in debts owed to vendors and incorrectly paid for some committee activities with money from another DeLay-connected political committee.

Related Topics:
August 11 - 2005 - Federal Elections Commission - Audit - PAC

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The FEC found that ARMPAC misreported receipts and the ending cash balance for 2001 activities and the beginning cash-on-hand, receipts, disbursements and ending cash-on-hand for 2002. ARMPAC also failed to report $322,306 owed to 25 vendors. ARMPAC disclosed the debts in amended reports, the FEC said.

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ARMPAC's state, non-federal arm paid some expenses and costs for events and activities that should have been paid by ARMPAC, the report said. ARMPAC representatives are reviewing that portion of the audit and understand "a payment from the federal account to the non-federal account may be required," the FEC said.

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There were no details given to indicate if the FEC would pursue enforcement action.

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Grand jury indictments

On September 8 2005, a federal grand jury indicted Texans for a Republican Majority, which illegally accepted a political contribution of $100,000 from the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, and the Texas Association of Business on four indictments, including charges of unlawful political advertising, unlawful contributions to a political committee and unlawful expenditures such as those to a graphics company and political candidates http://www.showmenews.com/2005/Sep/20050909News022.asp.

Related Topics:
September 8 - 2005 - Grand jury

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On September 13 2005, a federal grand jury indicted Jim Ellis, who heads Americans for a Republican Majority, and John Colyandro, former executive director of Texans for a Republican Majority, who already faced charges of money laundering in the case. Colyandro also faces 13 counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/13/election.probe.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest.

Related Topics:
September 13 - 2005 - Grand jury - John Colyandro - Money laundering

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On September 28 2005 a Travis County grand jury operating under Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle indicted Tom Delay for conspiring to violate Texas state election law stemming from issues dealing with his involvement in the PAC Texans for a Republican Majority. Texas law prohibits corporate contributions in state legislative races. The indictment charged that Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), DeLay's political action committee, accepted corporate contributions, laundered the money through the Republican National Committee, and directed it to favored Republican candidates in Texas. DeLay had waived his rights under the statutes of limitations, which had expired in the summer of 2005.

Related Topics:
September 28 - 2005 - Ronnie Earle - Indicted - PAC - Texans for a Republican Majority - Political action committee - Laundered - Republican National Committee

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DeLay blasted the charge as a "sham" and an act of "political retribution," perpetuated by his opponents. He added, "I have done nothing wrong, I have violated no law, no regulation, no rule of the House." CNN

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Because of Republican party rules regarding leadership and indictments, DeLay has stepped down temporarily from his position as House Majority Leader, while he retains his seat representing Texas' 22nd congressional district. White House spokesman Scott McClellan commented by saying that President Bush still viewed DeLay as "a good ally, a leader who we have worked closely with to get things done for the American people."

Related Topics:
House Majority Leader - Scott McClellan - Bush

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On October 3, 2005 Delay's lawyers filed a motion to get the indictment of conspiracy to violate election law thrown out as fraudulent claiming it was a violation of the US Constitution's ban on ex-post facto applications of law. The crime of conspiracy did not apply to Texas' election laws in 2002.http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/10/4delay.html Earle sought and received a new indictment of Delay from a new, seventh grand jury in Austin on charges of conspiracy to launder money. Delay's lawyers have quickly noted problems with that indictment as well. While the Texas Penal Code defines laundered money only as money gained as the "proceeds of criminal activity," Delay's lawyers maintain the corporate donations came from normal and legal business activity. Stuart Roy, a GOP consultant and former DeLay aide reacted to the second charge claiming: "Ronnie Earle may truly be the Elmer Fudd of politics." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051003/ap_on_go_co/delay_indictment_3;_ylt=Apus4GYwMKMUGsr8CEDS.zKGbToC;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051004/ap_on_go_co/delay_indictment

Related Topics:
Ex-post facto - Austin

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Texas Penal Code Chapter 34:02http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/cqcgi?CQ_SESSION_KEY=UJPNCEBKROHN&CQ_QUERY_HANDLE=125416&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=5&CQ_TLO_DOC_TEXT=YES

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:"§ 34.02. MONEY LAUNDERING. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly

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::(1) acquires or maintains an interest in, receives, conceals, possesses, transfers, or transports the proceeds of criminal activity

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::(2) conducts, supervises, or facilitates a transaction involving the proceeds of criminal activity; or

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::(3) invests, expends, or receives, or offers to invest, expend, or receive, the proceeds of criminal activity or funds that the person believes are the proceeds of criminal activity."

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The disciplinary rules of the Texas State Bar provide that a prosecutor is to neither pursue nor threaten to pursue "...a charge that he knows is not supported by probable cause." Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.09. Probable cause requires evidence sufficient to support a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that the person to be prosecuted probably committed it. While this standard is nowhere near as difficult to meet as a the burden for conviction under Texas law and throughout the United States, namely "beyond a reasonable doubt", it cannot by definition exist where the law alleged to be violated did not exist at the time the prosecutor sought the indictment.

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On Tuesday October 4, in a written statement, Earle publicly admitted "that prosecutors presented their case to three grand juries ? not just the two they had discussed ? and one grand jury refused to indict DeLay. When questions arose about whether the state's conspiracy statute applied to the first indictment returned last Wednesday, prosecutors presented a new money-laundering charge to (a) second grand jury on Friday because the term of the initial grand jury had expired. Lawyers for DeLay immediately called foul after Earle released his statement after 5 p.m. Tuesday." http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/10/5earle.html

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On October 7, 2005, DeLay's attorneys filed a motion in court to have the latest indictment thrown out, charging that Earle coerced the grand jury and illegally discussed grand jury information and encouraged others to do the same. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9623710/

Related Topics:
October 7 - 2005

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Earle's investigation of DeLay is the subject of an upcoming documentary film, which was filmed with Earle's cooperation over the past two years. http://www.nationalreview.com/york/york200509291814.asp

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DeLay's indictment occurred along with that of two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, the head of DeLay's national political committee. The charges were brought before the grand jury by the District Attorney of Travis County, Ronnie Earle, a Democrat who has prosecuted Conservative Democrat and Republican office holders, including U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Joe Turner, who represents Colyandro has said that he does not want a jury trial in Austin, because he believes that "DeLay and Republicans are hated ".http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/09/30delay.html

Related Topics:
John Colyandro - Ronnie Earle - Kay Bailey Hutchison

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The indictment charges that DeLay, Colyandro and Ellis conspired to pass corporate contributions to candidates for the Texas legislature in violation of Texas campaign finance law. Allegedly, several corporations (such as Diversified Collection Services and Sears Roebuck made contributions to the Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (TRMPAC). The indictment charged that TRMPAC then sent a check for $190,000 to the Republican National Committee, made payable to ?RNSEC?, the Republican National State Elections Committee, along with a list of state-level Republican candidates who should receive the money. According to the indictment, the Republican candidates in Texas did in fact receive the money so designated. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/29/politics/29delay.html

Related Topics:
Diversified Collection Services - Sears Roebuck - Republican National Committee - Republican National State Elections Committee

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The indictment was issued by a grand jury of Texas citizens. Grand jury foreman William Gibson said that there were "stacks and stacks" of evidence and, "As far as we're concerned, they presented us enough evidence and witnesses that we felt we were on the right track. I would not have put my name on that grand-jury indictment unless I felt we had ample probable cause." http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002532529_jury01.html

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Accusations of misuse of federal investigative agencies

During the above Texas redistricting warrant controversy, several members of the Texas State House of Representatives who were members of the Democratic Party left the state in order to prevent the House from having a quorum of members, and therefore preventing the House from acting on any legislation. Although not a member of the Texas legislature, DeLay became involved, contacting:

Related Topics:
Redistricting warrant - Texas State House of Representatives - Quorum

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• Three Federal Aviation Administration offices (in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Fort Worth, Texas and Washington, D.C.)
• Four Federal Bureau of Investigation offices (in Dallas, Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, Austin, Texas and Ardmore, Oklahoma)
• Two United States Marshal offices (in the Western and Northern Districts of Texas)
• The United States Attorney's office in San Antonio, Texas
• The Office of Legislative Affairs at the United States Department of Justice
• The Air and Marine Interdiction Coordination Center (in Riverside, California)

DeLay apparently intended to find out where the Democratic legislators were located, and to force them to return to Texas in order to create a quorum in the House of Representatives.

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Senator Joseph Lieberman requested an investigation into the Congressman's involvement in the requests, and asked that any White House involvement be reported. The House Ethics Committee unanimously admonished DeLay for these actions.

Related Topics:
Senator - Joseph Lieberman

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The K Street Project

DeLay's involvement with the lobbying industry also includes a pointed effort on the part of the Republican Party to parlay the Congressional majority into a dominance of K Street, the famed lobbying district of Washington, D.C. DeLay, Senator Rick Santorum, and Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform launched a campaign in 1995 encouraging lobbying firms to retain Republican officials in top positions. Firms that had Democrats in positions of authority, DeLay suggested, would not be granted the ear of Majority Party members. Firms initially responded to this campaign but it has waned since 2004, when the possibility of Senator John Kerry winning the presidency gave ample incentive for hiring Democrats.

Related Topics:
K Street - Washington, D.C. - Rick Santorum - Grover Norquist - Americans for Tax Reform - John Kerry

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DeLay and Terri Schiavo

DeLay also made headlines for his role in the Terri Schiavo controversy. On Palm Sunday weekend in March 2005, several days after the brain-damaged Florida woman's feeding tube was disconnected for the third time, DeLay and other House Republicans met in emergency session to pass a bill allowing Schiavo's parents to petition the removal of the feeding tube to a federal judge. DeLay called the removal of the feeding tube "an act of barbarism." DeLay faced charges of hypocrisy from his critics when the Los Angeles Times revealed that he had consented to ending the life support for his own father, who was in a comatose state because of a debilitating accident in 1988 http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/03/27/MNGTRBVFV01.DTL.

Related Topics:
Terri Schiavo - Palm Sunday - March 2005 - Florida - Los Angeles Times - 1988

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DeLay was accused of stirring up controversy in the wake of a series of high-profile violent crimes and death threats against judges when he said that "the men responsible will have to answer to their behavior." DeLay's comments came soon after the February 28 2005 homicide of the mother and husband of Chicago Judge Joan Lefkow, and the March 11 2005 killing of Atlanta Judge Rowland Barnes. DeLay's opponents accused him of rationalizing violence against judges when their decisions were unpopular with the public. Ralph Neas, President of the liberal People for the American Way, said that DeLay's comments were "irresponsible and could be seen by some as justifying inexcusable conduct against our courts." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26236-2005Apr4.html DeLay publicly apologized for the remark after being accused of threatening the Supreme Court.

Related Topics:
February 28 - 2005 - Joan Lefkow - March 11 - Rowland Barnes - Ralph Neas - People for the American Way - Supreme Court

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In May 2005, the hit NBC television drama ' used DeLay's name in a negative way. On the show, Detective Alexandra Eames (played by Kathryn Erbe), investigating homicides of several judges, said, "Maybe we should put out an APB for somebody in a Tom DeLay T-Shirt." The show was apparently referring to the comments DeLay made about Supreme Court justices during the Terri Schiavo controversy. DeLay responded by writing to Jeff Zucker, president of Universal Television Group: "This manipulation of my name and trivialization of the sensitive issue of judicial security represents a reckless disregard for the suffering initiated by recent tragedies and a great disservice to public discourse." The producer of the show, Dick Wolf, replied that "these shows are works of fiction." Wolf also commented, "But I do congratulate Congressman DeLay for switching the spotlight from his own problems to an episode of a television show."

Related Topics:
May - 2005 - NBC - Alexandra Eames - Kathryn Erbe - APB - Jeff Zucker - Universal - Dick Wolf - Fiction

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Cuban Cigar

DeLay has long been known as a strong critic of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, and a supporter of the trade embargo against Cuba. In April 2005, Time Magazine published a photo from a July 2003 trip to Israel. In the photo, DeLay is seen smoking a Cuban cigar http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1054968,00.html, an activity which is illegal in the United States, but legal in Israel. At the time, smoking a Cuban cigar abroad was legal for U.S. citizens. However, since September 2004, the Treasury Department's enforcement of the law has been toughened to forbid consumption or purchase of Cuban cigars by U.S. citizens anywhere in the world.

Related Topics:
Cuban - Fidel Castro - Embargo - 2005 - Time Magazine - 2003 - Israel - Cigar - United States - Smoking - 2004

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DeLay and Jack Abramoff

Tom DeLay has received gifts from indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff including paid golfing holidays to Scotland, concert tickets and the use of Abramoff's private skyboxes for fundraisers.

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The Associated Press reported on April 7 2005:

Related Topics:
The Associated Press - April 7 - 2005

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DeLay's political action committee did not reimburse lobbyist Jack Abramoff for the May 2000 use of the skybox, instead treating it as a type of donation that didn't have to be disclosed to election regulators at the time.

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The skybox donation, valued at thousands of dollars, came just three weeks before DeLay accepted a trip to Europe including golf with Abramoff at the world-famous St. Andrews course for himself, his wife and aides that was underwritten by some of the lobbyist's clients.

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Two months after the concert and trip, DeLay voted against gambling legislation opposed by some of Abramoff's Indian tribe clients http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7577057/.

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Related Topics:
September - 2005 - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

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CREW report. -->

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