Alabama's former Democratic governor speaks out

[starroute]

11. There was even a branch of DeLay's ARMPAC in Alabama

It was active from 1998 to 2002 and collected more than $750,000, all of it from out-of-state donors. Most of that was spent on Texas redistrictricting, but $11,000 went to Bob Riley and another $122,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee (which itself sent money to Riley, even though he was then running for governor and not for Congress.) Alabama's laws regulating in-state PACs are notorious lax, which is what makes this sort of carpetbagging attractive.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060122/NEWS/601220394/1013/EDITORIAL2

Sunday, January 22, 2006

A look at the contributions and expenditures forms of DeLay’s Alabama PAC is enlightening, perplexing and infuriating, all at the same time.

Many of the contributions came from big law firms in New York, Washington and Texas, telecommunication and pharmaceutical firms and various single-interest companies like R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Inc., which contributed $30,000 on Oct. 21, 2002. Two weeks earlier, General Cigar Holdings (DeLay is known to enjoy a fine cigar now and then) also contributed $10,000.

But what’s up with the $5,000 contribution from the Sam Katz for Mayor Campaign Committee in Mechanicsburg, Pa., that was received on Jan. 12, 2000? Or the $5,000 from The Scooter Store in New Braunfels, Texas, that came in on May 24, 2002?

The Lexington, Ky.-based National Thoroughbred Racing Association, where Michael Brown presumably was doing “a heck of a job" before being tapped as FEMA director by President George W. Bush, also chipped in $15,000 on Aug. 23, 2002.


(On edit: The Scooter Store are the people who just went out of business after being investigated for Medicare fraud. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57602952/the-scooter-store-shutting-down-after-federal-scrutiny-cbs-probe/)

(And this seems to explain Sam Katz. I guess DeLay was the go-to guy for anybody with shady interests to protect. http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2004-08-20/article/19452?headline=Governor-s-San-Pablo-Casino-Deal-Fulfills-Hopes-of-GOP-Operatives-By-RICHARD-BRENNEMAN--By-RICHARD-BRENNEMAN)