Kos: Delay Escapes Indictment

[Timefortruth]

It isn't in the wires yet, they are all busy getting to the bottom of Rathergate. But it doesn't look like a good day for the truth.

From a Texas reader:
Breaking News from Travis County Courthouse
Texans for a Republican Majority PAC executive director John Colyandro and treasurer Bill Ceverha indicted.

32 count indictment, some corporations also indicted.

DeLay untouched.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/9/21/134131/273

[Sandpiper]

1. The Godfather never gets touched

It's always the Capos that take the fall.

[Demeter]

2. How Unfortunate.

[Eloriel]

3. See what raw political power can do for you in a fascist society?

Ain't it great?

[Jane Austin]

13. Not in this case.

Ronnie Earle would have gotten him if he could.

[Career Prole]

4. Ah, sh*t! >:-( n/t

[Edgewater_Joe]

5. Just Working Their Way Up The Ladder

You need guys low on the food chain to save their hides and cut deals in order to keep working your way up. It took about three years to get George Ryan in IL.

Don't give up. It doesn't sound like the grand jury's disbanded yet.

[Howardx]

7. yep

classic prosecutorial move.

[ozymandius]

8. Yes.

It took almost three years to indict Ken Lay. These things need to be done delicately and coldly.

[Roland99]

12. Ayup..

Don't throw in the towels yet, folks!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. I agree

The underlings usually sing in exchange for a lighter sentence. It's only a matter of time before they get Delay.

[merh]

19. That's it, working their way up the food chain . . .

have to get the little guys cornered and scared before they turn on the big guys and tell all they know. It ain't over yet and besides, why indict him before January? * would simply pardon him.

Don't sweat it -- things are still in the works!

[mopinko]

27. that edgewater as in

the north side of chicago?

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. only hope we have

is for him to loose his seat... and it may actually happen

[shance]

9. It's not over yet*

n/t

[xxqqqzme]

10. House investigation - interesting tidbit from

'Harper's Index'....
'Number of the 5 Republicans investigating Rep. Tom Delay on ethics charges who have taken donations from his PAC: 4'
(source: Federal Election Commision (Washington))

[Timefortruth]

11. link

Republican Majority officials indicted in fund-raising investigation
Attorney says seven companies, three individuals named in up to 28 counts

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

A Travis County grand jury today indicted three consultants with Texans for a Republican Majority and at least seven corporate donors, according to lawyers for U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

**skip**


Following the Republican sweep of the 2002 elections, Earle began investigating allegations that Republicans and their business allies used unprecedented amounts of corporate cash to affect the elections.

State law generally prohibits using corporate or labor union money for political purposes except to pay for the administrative expenses of a political action committee.

Texans for a Republican Majority spent $1.5 million during the election, including $600,000 of corporate money that was spent on consultants, pollsters and phone banks. But lawyers for the political action committee argued that the money was spent for the benefit of the committee and not directly on behalf of candidates.

**more**

It is subscription only but:

http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/09/22indictments.html#

[sonias]

17. Here is a version you can get without registration

http://www.cleanuptexaspolitics.com/indictments

And if you are a Texan please sign up for finance reform on that site too.

thanks

Sonia

[Timefortruth]

14. The press conference should be going on now?

Any Texans out there?

[0007]

16. Anything on Tom Craddick, the House Speaker?

[sonias]

21. Nothing new, he is still in the hot seat

The Texas Observer had the best write up of the situation

2/27/2004
Scandal in the Speaker's Office
http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleFileName=040227_f1.htm
(snip)
However, Craddick and TRMPAC may have violated two provisions of the speaker statute. The law expressly forbids any political action committee from lending "money or other things of value" to aid or defeat a speaker candidate. On the surface, TRMPAC’s cutting checks worth $152,000 for Craddick to distribute to a specific set of candidates appears to qualify as "aiding" his campaign for speaker.
(/snip)

-----
It's not over yet.

Sonia

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tom_paine]

20. Do you understand how many would be destroyed if an Imperial Stooge

as high up as Deptuy Reichsfuhrer DeLay went down?

How many careers crushed? Perhaps even how many lives lost?

Those who handed out these indictments KNOW the score, and they want to keep earning a living, or perhaps just living.

Wait for it like waiting for a Duma verdict to indict Molotov in the 1940s.

[sonias]

22. I would love to see that happen, tom_paine

Let the whole house of DeLay/bu$h criminal cards come tumbling down. If they had something they could pin on DeLay they would have. That bug is smart though, he gets his other cockroaches to do the dirty deeds. He just orders them around. Maybe one of them will squeal on him. They are being charged with felonies after all. Wishful thinking.

Sonia

[tom_paine]

26. They KNOW they would get Baxterized

(or perhaps Wellstoned)

I'd like to see it, too, Space Cowgirl.

By the by, just got Bab 5 on the DVD. Wow!

[CitySky]

23. Look Who's Indicted

***

DETAILS OF INDICTMENTS
Earle says investigation is ongoing
Here are some of the specifics of today's series of 32 indictments

First degree felony indictments for money laundering to Texans for a
Republican Majority director John Colyandro and Majority Leader Tom
Delay's political operative Jim Ellis.

In addition, Colyandro received thirteen indictments for unlawfully
accepting corporate contributions

Republican fundraiser Warren Robold is charged in nine indictments with accepting illegal corporate contributions -- a third degree felony.

Eight out-of-state corporations were indicted for third degree felonies -- making prohibited political contributions

Questera Corp of Charlottesville, West Virginia -- two indictments for two $25,000 contributions
Westar of Topeka, Kansas for $25,000
Diversified Collection Services of San Leandro, CA -- $50,000
Sears Roebuck of Illinois -- $25,000
The Williams Companies of Tulsa Oklahoma -- $25,000
Bacardi USA of Miami, Florida-- $20,000
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, of Lebanon, Tennessee -- $25,000
Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care Corp -- $100,000

The allegedly illegal money received by Colyandro other than those
referenced above came from

El Paso Energy Service -- $50,000
Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railway--two contributions totaling
$26,000
Reliant Resources -- $25,000
AT&T -$20,000

Corporations convicted of a third degree felony face fines up to
$20,000. If money was gained by the corporation as a result of the contribution, fines can be levied up to the amount of the benefit.

First degree felonies can result in 5-99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000

Copyright September 21, 2004 by Harvey Kronberg,
www.quorumreport.com, All
rights are reserved

[sonias]

25. Thanks for the money details CitySky

We knew the names of the corporations but not the amounts. Westsar, El Paso Energy, Bacardi - no surprises there at all.

By the way if you are a Texan, there is a Fax action on Clean Up Texas Politics to send AT&T telling them to keep their money to themselves.
http://www.cleanuptexaspolitics.com/fax_action

Sonia

[yellowcanine]

24. Delay escapes this time but he is not out of danger and it will cripple

him politically, for the moment, anyway. Couldn't have come at a better time.

[truthisfreedom]

28. whee-eww. that was a close one, huh?

i shore woulda felt bad if he'd-a been indicted or somethin'.

[UpInArms]

29. related article: Three Linked to DeLay Indicted in Texas Scandal

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6297086

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Three men with close ties to U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay were indicted on Tuesday along with eight companies for illegal fund-raising activities in a political action committee formed by the powerful Texan.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle told reporters the investigation, not yet finished, had uncovered ominous behavior by the group.

"What has emerged is the outline of an effort to use corporate contributions to control representative democracy in Texas," he said.

The grand jury in Austin has been looking into whether DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority, of TRMPAC, gave candidates money that came from corporate donors, which is illegal in Texas.

<snip>

The U.S. House ethics committee is currently considering whether to investigate DeLay for a complaint filed by U.S. Rep. Chris Bell, a Democrat from Houston.

...more...

[struggle4progress]

30. 3 DeLay Aides Facing Charges in Fund Inquiry (NYT)

By GLEN JUSTICE and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: September 22, 2004

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 - Three aides who helped run a political action committee created by the House majority leader, Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, were indicted by a grand jury in Texas on Tuesday on charges that included raising illegal corporate contributions and funneling them to state candidates during the 2002 elections.

Eight companies were also charged, including Sears Roebuck & Company and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc.

The 32 separate indictments sprang from a two-year investigation by local prosecutors into Texans for a Republican Majority P.A.C., a political action committee created by Mr. DeLay that spent $1.5 million to help Republicans gain control of the Texas House. The Legislature later redrew the boundaries of the state's Congressional districts in favor of Republicans, which helps the party maintain control of Congress.

The charges against the aides come at a time when Mr. DeLay himself is under investigation by the House ethics committee over accusations of improper fund-raising. News of the indictments led to fresh calls for the committee to move forward with its inquiry. <snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/22/national/22delay.html

[Burma Jones]

31. Washington Post Article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39563-2004Sep21.html

[UpInArms]

32. related article: Grand jury indicts 32 over campaign funds

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1153&slug=Election%20Investigation

AUSTIN, Texas -- A grand jury handed up 32 indictments for an alleged scheme to make illegal campaign contributions through a political action committee associated with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

DeLay, who was not charged, accused the prosecutor of using the investigation for political purposes.

"This has been a dragged out 500-day investigation, and you do the political math. This is no different than other kinds of partisan attacks that have been leveled against me that are dropped after elections," the Texas Republican said.

A Travis County grand jury on Tuesday indicted three political operatives and eight companies, alleging campaign finance violations related to corporate money spent in the 2002 legislative races. The corporate donations were made to Texans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee created with help from DeLay.

<snip>

Texas law prohibits the use of corporate money for political activity.

...more...