Tom DeLay charged with Corruption
Tom DeLay charged with Corruption
by: ben_dover_america 06/15/04 10:14 pm
Msg: 445 of 445
A formal charge of corruption has just been filed in Washington against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The complaint alleges that DeLay:
* Illegally solicited a $25,000.- campaign contribution from Westar
Energy Corporation, in exchange for supporting legislation that
would benefit the company.
* Funneled illegal corporate contributions to GOP candidates for
the Texas legislature, through a group called the Texans for a
Republican Majority Political Action Committee (TRMPAC) and
through the Republican National Committee.
* Improperly involved a federal agency in a partisan matter, by
asking the Federal Aviation Administration to track a group of
Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the state in 2003, while
trying to prevent passage of DeLay's plan to gerrymander Texas'
congressional districts.
The complaint was filed today with the House Ethics Committee, which
must now decide whether to investigate DeLay.
Executives from Westar Energy Corporation, said that corporate officers
needed to give money to Tom DeLay's political action committee in order
to get a "seat at the table" when amendments to the energy bill were
being considered. [1]
The ethics complaint also alleges that Westar's contributions were
laundered through TRMPAC and the RNC to use in the redistricting battle in
the Texas legislature.
Despite the efforts of thousands of MoveOn members last year, DeLay and
Karl Rove succeeded in using the Republican-controlled Texas
legislature to redraw Texas' congressional districts, effectively
disenfranchising 1.4 million African American and Latino voters. Texas law prohibits
corporate contributions to individual candidates in state campaigns,
and an Austin grand jury is currently investigating DeLay's PAC. [2]
Enforcement of ethics rules in the House of Representatives has faded
since 1997, when outside groups were prohibited from formally
introducing ethics charges. Since then, congressional leaders like DeLay have
been effectively able to block investigations, especially when they don't
think the public is watching.
Please call your Representative today to show that you are paying
attention -- and that you won't stand for members of Congress giving favors
for corporations in exchange for funding their partisan attacks on our
democracy.
Thanks for calling today.
Sincerely,
--Carrie, Joan, Lee, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org Team
June 15th, 2004
[1] http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/06/politics/main557368.shtml
[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41568-2004Jun14.html
__________
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by: ben_dover_america 06/15/04 10:14 pm
Msg: 445 of 445
A formal charge of corruption has just been filed in Washington against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The complaint alleges that DeLay:
* Illegally solicited a $25,000.- campaign contribution from Westar
Energy Corporation, in exchange for supporting legislation that
would benefit the company.
* Funneled illegal corporate contributions to GOP candidates for
the Texas legislature, through a group called the Texans for a
Republican Majority Political Action Committee (TRMPAC) and
through the Republican National Committee.
* Improperly involved a federal agency in a partisan matter, by
asking the Federal Aviation Administration to track a group of
Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the state in 2003, while
trying to prevent passage of DeLay's plan to gerrymander Texas'
congressional districts.
The complaint was filed today with the House Ethics Committee, which
must now decide whether to investigate DeLay.
Executives from Westar Energy Corporation, said that corporate officers
needed to give money to Tom DeLay's political action committee in order
to get a "seat at the table" when amendments to the energy bill were
being considered. [1]
The ethics complaint also alleges that Westar's contributions were
laundered through TRMPAC and the RNC to use in the redistricting battle in
the Texas legislature.
Despite the efforts of thousands of MoveOn members last year, DeLay and
Karl Rove succeeded in using the Republican-controlled Texas
legislature to redraw Texas' congressional districts, effectively
disenfranchising 1.4 million African American and Latino voters. Texas law prohibits
corporate contributions to individual candidates in state campaigns,
and an Austin grand jury is currently investigating DeLay's PAC. [2]
Enforcement of ethics rules in the House of Representatives has faded
since 1997, when outside groups were prohibited from formally
introducing ethics charges. Since then, congressional leaders like DeLay have
been effectively able to block investigations, especially when they don't
think the public is watching.
Please call your Representative today to show that you are paying
attention -- and that you won't stand for members of Congress giving favors
for corporations in exchange for funding their partisan attacks on our
democracy.
Thanks for calling today.
Sincerely,
--Carrie, Joan, Lee, Noah, Peter, and Wes
The MoveOn.org Team
June 15th, 2004
[1] http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/06/politics/main557368.shtml
[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41568-2004Jun14.html
__________
Yahoo! News Message Boards World News
posted by Gary at 9:15 PM
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