Activism Change

OT: Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty

Question:

Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty By MARK SHERMAN (Associated Press) A former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy and promised to cooperate with a federal investigation of bribery and lobbying fraud that has so far netted three convictions and prompted calls for ethics reform in Congress. Tony Rudy, DeLay’s former deputy chief of staff, admitted to conspiring with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff both while Rudy worked for DeLay and after he left the lawmaker’s staff to become a lobbyist himself. He faces up to five years in prison, but could receive much less based on the extent of his help with the investigation, U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle told Rudy at a court hearing in Washington. As a top aide to DeLay in his role as House majority leader, Rudy took payments from Abramoff in 2000, then helped stop an Internet gambling bill opposed by Abramoff’s clients, according to court papers. Later, while working as a lobbyist, Rudy also was extensively involved in arranging a golf trip to Scotland for Rep. Bob Ney, described as Representative 1, and congressional staffers, the court papers said. Rudy, who resigned as DeLay’s deputy chief of staff in 2001, is the first person to plead guilty in the case since Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges in January. Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay press secretary who later became a lobbying partner with Abramoff, pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to bribe public officials.

Response:

And I’ve got one better – http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10794099/from/RL.2/. Letter may link DeLay to Abramoff tribal client WASHINGTON – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay tried to pressure the Bush administration into shutting down an Indian-owned casino that lobbyist Jack Abramoff wanted closed – shortly after a tribal client of Abramoff’s donated to a DeLay political action committee, The Associated Press has learned. The Texas Republican demanded closure of the casino, owned by the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas, in a Dec. 11, 2001 letter to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, a move that likely would have benefited Abramoff’s client, a tribe running a competing casino. "We feel that the Department of Justice needs to step in and investigate the inappropriate and illegal actions by the tribe, its financial backers, if any, and the casino equipment vendors," said the letter, which was also signed by Texas Republican Reps. Pete Sessions, John Culberson and Kevin Brady. … Ouuuhhh – this is getting really GOOD! Mr Soul

Response:

I like this… that scumbag Grover Norquist may finally be getting what he deserves:

Let’s hope!  My wife knows Grover & the Norquist family.  Apparently they are all right-wingers.  He came to my wife’s school & gave a talk years ago & apparently made a fool of himself. Grover Norquist = Pure Evil. Mr Soul

Response:

I like this… that scumbag Grover Norquist may finally be getting what he deserves: Let’s hope!  My wife knows Grover & the Norquist family.  Apparently they are all right-wingers.  He came to my wife’s school & gave a talk years ago & apparently made a fool of himself. Grover Norquist = Pure Evil. Mr Soul

I wonder what Delay’s "pucker factor" is now?

Response:

Filed under: Lobbying

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