TPMMuckraker Tom DeLay
Rick Perry
Top Perry Patron Has Ties To DeLay Redistricting Scandal
While the East Coast braces itself for the ravages of Hurricane Irene this weekend, a tempest of another kind will be building in Texas.
Texas Gov. Ricky Perry is attending a Christian "call to action" retreat for top donors at the Texas Hill Country ranch of one of his biggest patrons and political supporters, prominent San Antonio doctor and hospital-bed magnate James Leininger.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Bob Perry, Jack Abramoff, James Leininger, Redistricting, Rick Perry, TRMPAC, Texas, Tom DeLay
New Black Panthers
Holder: Rhetoric On New Black Panther Case Does 'Great Disservice' To Civil Rights History
Attorney General Eric Holder went up for his first round of hearings in the Republican-controlled House on Tuesday, where he faced questions over the Justice Department's handling of a two-year-old voter intimidation case against members of the New Black Panther Party.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Eric Holder, J. Christian Adams, New Black Panthers, Ted Stevens, Tom DeLay
Jack Abramoff
Judge Bars Scanlon From Traveling To His Estate In St. Barts
Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff's partner in crime, was sentenced Friday to 20 months in federal prison -- but a majority of the hearing was devoted to his real-estate development plans and whether he could travel to a luxury property in St. Barts.
Scanlon and Abramoff engaged in an elaborate kickback and fraud scheme that took down former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and 20 other government officials and lobbyists. Unlike Abramoff, who was struggling to support his family at the end of the scandal, Scanlon invested his tens of millions in real estate and is a very rich man by anyone's standards.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Congress, House of Representatives , Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay
Michael Scanlon
Scanlon Sentenced To 20 Months In Prison For Role In Abramoff Scandal
Michael Scanlon and Jack Abramoff
A U.S. District Judge sentenced Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff's partner in a wide-ranging lobbying sandal, to 20 months in federal prison and 300 hours of community service.
Scanlon also may have to cough up more than $20 million to compensate several Indian tribes, as well as Abramoff's former lobbying firm, for his role in defrauding them. Judge Ellen Huvelle ordered him to pay $20 million to the tribes and Greenberg Traurig, but Scanlon is disputing whether he should be forced to pay Greenberg Traurig, and that matter will be decided separately in the coming months.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Greenberg Traurig, Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, K&L Gates, Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
House Ethics: Timing On Fundraisers, Financial Reform Was Coincidence
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
The House Ethics Committee let three members of Congress skirt further ethics inquires on their cozy relationships with financial lobbyists because, in short, everybody does it.
But what about the timing of the fundraisers, some of which were held the day before the final Financial Reform Bill vote in December 2009? Top ethics officials in the House of Representatives say the timing of the events was just "happenstance."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Ethics, House Ethics Committee, Joseph Crowley, Tom DeLay, Tom Price
Ethics
Ethics Committee: Wall Street Fundraisers Weren't As Bad As DeLay
Reps. John Campbell (R-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Tom Price (R-GA)
Nothing to see here, folks!
That's the takeaway of the House Ethics Committee's 616-page report on fundraisers targeting financial industry lobbyists held by members of the House around the time the legislative body was voting on an overhaul of financial regulation in December of 2009.
Despite the recommendations of the more independent Office of Congressional Ethics, the House Ethics Committee wouldn't be looking into whether events geared towards financial lobbyists held by three members of Congress had the appearance of impropriety.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Ethics, House Ethics Committee, John Campbell, Joseph Crowley, Office of Congressional Ethics, Tom DeLay, Tom Price
Tom DeLay
DeLay: Judge Is 'Dead Wrong,' The Lawyers Said It Was Legal! (VIDEO)
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) told MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell last night that the judge who sentenced him to three years in prison was "dead wrong" and that he has a "great chance" of overturning his November conviction of money laundering.
DeLay argued that he was not guilty of money laundering because he had not received his contributions from "drug money or money from fraud or some" other criminal activity. Instead Delay says he received it legally from American corporations.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Austin, Texas, Corruption, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
DeLay Blames Liberal Jury For Conviction (VIDEO)
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his lawyer, Dick DeGuerin
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), who has long argued that his indictment on money laundering charges was politically motivated, said on the "Today Show" this morning that his conviction was political, too.
"I was tried in the most liberal county in the state of Texas and, indeed, in the United States," he said, referring to Travis County, the home of Austin. DeLay and his lawyers had tried to get his trial moved to a different, more conservative county, to no avail.
"The foreman of the jury was a Greenpeace activist," DeLay went on. "So, I'm not criticizing the jury. The point is this is a political campaign."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Citizens United, Dick DeGuerin, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay Sentenced To Prison
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) has been sentenced to three years in prison, the AP and the Austin-American Statesman are reporting.
Texas Judge Pat Priest handed down the sentence this afternoon in an Austin courtroom.
DeLay was convicted in November on money laundering and conspiracy charges. His lawyers asked for the minimum sentence, probation. Prosecutors asked for at least 10 years in prison.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Austin, Texas, Corruption, Jack B. Johnson, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Abramoff Cohorts Offered Immunity To Testify Against DeLay At Sentencing
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
At former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's sentencing hearing today, two of DeLay's former aides and associates of Jack Abramoff -- who pleaded guilty to corruption charges years ago -- may testify against their old boss.
The two ex-aides, Mike Scanlon and Tony Rudy, were offered immunity in Texas in exchange for their testimony, the Austin-American Statesman reports. The two have been convicted on federal corruption charges, and their testimony won't get them off the hook there -- but they could get a state prosecutor to testify on their behalf at their own sentencings.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Benjamin Netanyahu, Jack Abramoff, Louie Gohmert, Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay, Tony Rudy
Republicans
Old DeLay Hands Still Part Of GOP Leadership Under Boehner
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and House Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-OH)
Republicans have swept back into power in the House amid promises of a new kind of party. But how different is it, really?
If a handful of new hires made by the new House leadership -- staffers who worked for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in the heady days of his hammer-fisted reign -- is any indication, not much.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff, John Boehner, Republicans, Tom DeLay
Lanny Breuer
DOJ: We're Not 'Gun-Shy' On Prosecuting Politicians, We Just Can't Prove Crimes
Lanny Breuer
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV). Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA). Former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX). Rep. Don Young (R-AK). Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV). What do all these politicians have in common? Despite being embroiled in scandal, all have announced in the past year that the Justice Department wouldn't be pursuing charges against them.
That has put DOJ in the crosshairs of good government groups, who say they've appeared weak by shutting down high-profile investigations of members of Congress.
"Exactly what will a politician have to do for the Department of Justice to sit up and take notice?" Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said this month. "The department might as well disband the Public Integrity Section for all the good it does."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Alan Mollohan, DOJ Public Integrity, Don Young, Jack Smith, Jerry Lewis, John Ensign, Justice Department, Lanny Breuer, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Colbert Laments DeLay Conviction, Bakes Him A 'Hammer' Cake ... Full Of Iron
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert last night wagged a finger at the American criminal justice system for convicting former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on two counts of money laundering.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Stephen Colbert, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Convicted DeLay Is Probably Not Going To Get Life In Prison
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was convicted Wednesday of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The money laundering charge carries a 99-year maximum sentence -- in other words, life in prison.
But don't expect DeLay to be sent away for the rest of his days.
"It is absolutely impossible he would get anywhere near life," Philip Hilder, a Texas criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, told the Associated Press. "It would be a period of a few years, if he gets prison."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Corruption, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay Found Guilty Of Money Laundering
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
After deliberating for 19 hours over three days, a jury has found former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the Associated Press, DeLay faces up to life in prison.
The charges stem from the 2002 Texas state house elections, when DeLay's Texas PAC, known as TRMPAC, collected $190,000 in corporate donations and sent the money to the Republican National Committee. The RNC then sent a total of $190,000 to seven Republican state house candidates hand-picked by DeLay's PAC.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Corruption, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
On First Day Of Deliberation, DeLay Jurors Question Charges
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
The jury in former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's corruption trial began deliberating Monday after both sides made their closing arguments. And they were already questioning the charges against him.
The Austin-American Statesman reports that jurors yesterday sent a series of notes to the judge, asking him about the charges. "Can it constitute money laundering if the money wasn't procured by illegal means originally?" one note read.
DeLay is charged with money laundering. Prosecutors say he orchestrated a money swap in 2002 in which his Texas PAC collected $190,000 and sent it to the RNC, which turned around and gave $190,000 to several state house candidates hand-picked by the PAC. DeLay's lawyers have argued both that the swap was legal and that DeLay did not know about the swap until after it was done.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Corruption, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
DeLay: I Don't Need To Testify Now That Lawyers Played '05 Fox News Interview
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Testimony ended yesterday in former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's money laundering trial in Texas without DeLay himself ever taking the stand.
Prosecutors did, however, play two interviews DeLay gave when he was indicted in 2005: One to investigators, and one to Fox News' Chris Wallace.
From the Austin-American Statesman:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Corruption, Jim Ellis, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
DeLay Begins His Defense With A Big Mistake
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Tom DeLay's lawyers began his defense yesterday by helping prove the prosecution's case.
DeLay, the former Republican House majority leader, is standing trial in Texas on allegations that he orchestrated a money swap. In 2002, his Texas PAC gave $190,000 in corporate money to the RNC, which then turned around and gave a total of $190,000 to seven Texas state house candidates picked by DeLay's PAC. Under Texas law, corporate money cannot be used to fund state campaigns.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Corruption, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Prosecutors (Finally) Intro Evidence Tying DeLay To Money Swap
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
As former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's corruption trial continues, prosecutors have finally introduced evidence tying DeLay to a money swap orchestrated by his Texas PAC which the prosecutors say was illegal.
DeLay is accused of money laundering during the 2002 Texas state house campaign. His state PAC allegedly collected $190,000 in corporate donations, then funneled that money through the RNC and into the campaigns of seven Republican candidates. Corporate donations are illegal in Texas.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Tom DeLay
Corruption
Prosecutors Plan To Use DeLay's Words Against Him In Court Today
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
After six days of testimony, prosecutors in the corruption trial of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay have yet to directly tie DeLay to an alleged money-laundering scheme that benefited Texas Republicans in 2002.
But, according to the Austin American-Statesman, they hope to change that today by introducing DeLay's own words, in the form of a statement he gave to investigators before he was indicted in 2005.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Corruption, Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
DeLay Takes 'A Little' Credit In Big GOP Win, Plans Return To Politics After Trial
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, whose corruption trial began this week in Austin, on Wednesday took a little credit for the Republicans' takeover of the House Tuesday night.
"Well, I hope I played a little part into it. A lot of the guys that are there now are from Texas came from our redistricting and we gained three more seats in Texas and that's pretty amazing," he said. "So what every little bit I had to play, I am very proud of."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay's Corruption Trial Begins Today
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Tom DeLay, former House majority leader and, more recently, contestant on "Dancing With the Stars," finally heads to trial today, five years after he was charged with money laundering.
DeLay, a Republican, faces charges that he illegally funneled $190,000 from corporations to Texas state races in 2002. That year, Republicans took the majority in the Texas state house, leading to a Republican-led redistricting that put more Texan Republicans in the U.S. House.
Topics: Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Timing Is Key In Investigations Of Donations From Financial Interests
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY)
When news came out this week that three members of Congress had been referred to the House ethics committee for further investigation into possible ethics violations because of fundraisers they held ahead of a vote on financial reform, observers were surprised that the Office of Congressional Ethics based the decision on the appearance of impropriety rather than solid evidence that anything was done wrong.
But according to House ethics guidelines, looks do matter.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: House Ethics Committee, John Campbell, Joseph Crowley, Office of Congressional Ethics, Tom DeLay, Tom Price
Tom DeLay
As Hearing Continues, A Win For DeLay
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) has chalked up one win in a pretrial hearing that began yesterday: He will be tried before his co-defendants.
DeLay, who was charged in 2005 with money laundering, has been pushing for a trial for five years. Prosecutors wanted to try two other defendants, former aides of DeLay's first; but the judge denied them.
Topics: Texas, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
DeLay To Finally Face A Texas Court In Money Laundering Case
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
On the heels of the Justice Department's decision not to charge former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay with any crimes related to his association with Jack Abramoff, the Hammer will appear in an Austin court today for a pretrial hearing over charges that he laundered money to secure Republican victories in the 2002 elections.
According to prosecutors, DeLay and two aides donated $190,000 -- raised from corporations -- to the Republican National Committee. Along with the cash, they allegedly provided a list of Texas Republican candidates they wanted to help. The RNC then donated that same amount, $190,000, to seven candidates.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay: Still Friends With Jack Abramoff (VIDEO)
Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay
In a lengthy interview with ABC News' Brian Ross, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay says he's still good friends with lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
"Jack Abramoff is still a friend of mine," DeLay said. He said he last talked to Abramoff about a month ago, when the lobbyist got out of jail. What did they talk about? "None of your business," DeLay said.
DeLay appeared on ABC after the Justice Department told DeLay it would not pursue charges against him.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay
Jack Abramoff
DeLay: 'I'm Mad They Thought I Was Stupid' (VIDEO)
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay took his victory lap in the media on Monday after his lawyer announced that the Justice Department had decided not to file charges against him after a years-long investigation into his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
In a conference call with reporters, DeLay called the Justice Department's investigation "weak" and said he was not interviewed by investigators nor ever required to appear before a grand jury. He also faulted the press being so quick to assume he was guilty, reported The Hill.
Later in an interview on CNN, DeLay said, "I am not mad that they thought I was corrupt. I'm mad that they thought i was stupid."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Justice Department, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
DeLay Will Not Face Federal Charges
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will not face federal charges related to his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Politico reported.
The Justice Department notified DeLay's lead attorney, McGuireWoods Chairman Richard Cullen, about the decision last week, the lawyer said.
"The federal investigation of Tom DeLay is over and there will be no charges," Cullen told Politico. "This is the so-called Abramoff investigation run by the Public Integrity section of DOJ. There have been a series of convictions and guilty pleas since 2005."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Department of Justice, Jack Abramoff, Richard Cullen, Texas, Tom DeLay
Shadow Congress
SHADOW CONGRESS: More Than 170 Former Lawmakers Ply The Corridors Of Power As Lobbyists
It's not exactly breaking news that Washington is stuffed to the gills with lobbyists. One good government group recently tallied 8 lobbyists for every member of Congress during the health-care reform debate. But what doesn't get as much attention is that, over the last few decades, a vast army of what might be called uber-lobbyists has taken shape in the capital, made up of retiring lawmakers eager to cash in on K Street after a lifetime of making do with public sector salaries.
We've compiled a close-to-comprehensive list of former members of Congress currently working on behalf of private interests in Washington's influence-peddling industry. We count 172 of them -- almost one-third the number of current members of Congress.
See an interactive graphic of the Shadow Congress here.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (11)Topics: Bill Zeliff, Bob Dole, George Hochbrueckner, K Street, Lobbyists, Shadow Congress, Tom DeLay
Bertha Lewis
Muckraker Favorites Star On Time's Least Influential List
Clockwise from top-left: Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), and former AIG Financial Products chief Joseph Cassano
Much more entertaining than Time's 100 Most Influential People list is its 100 Least Influential -- juvenilely titled the "Bum Hundred."
And that's only partly because it contains a handful of TPMmuckraker favorites. For instance:
Topics: ACORN, Bernard Madoff, Bertha Lewis, David Paterson, Eric Massa, Jack Abramoff, Jim Gibbons, John Ensign, Joseph Cassano, Mark Sanford, Michael Steele, Rod Blagojevich, Roland Burris, Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
DeLay Money Laundering Case May Finally Be Headed To Trial
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Five years after he was charged with conspiracy and money laundering in an alleged scheme to funnel corporate money into the 2002 Texas elections, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay may soon stand trial after a ruling by a state appeals court cleared perhaps the final remaining obstacles in the case.
And his lawyer tells TPMmuckraker DeLay couldn't be happier with the state of the case.
"He wants to go to trial. He's been wanting to go to trial from the very beginning," says Dick DeGuerin, the high-profile Texas defense attorney who is representing DeLay. "There's no evidence by any stretch of the imagination that could convict him."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)Topics: Dick DeGuerin, Jim Ellis, John Colyandro, Republican National Committee, Republicans, Texas, Tom DeLay
Jack Abramoff
Casino Jack Delivers Sweeping View Of Abramoff Scandal
Early in the new documentary Casino Jack, a young Ralph Reed appears wearing a camouflage trucker hat, overcome with anti-Communist fervor at a rally in support of the Nicaraguan contras. Later on there is a beturbaned Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) posing with his mujahideen friends in Afghanistan in the late 1980s. And there is Jack Abramoff at a meeting of freedom fighters hosted by rebel leader (and human rights abuser) Jonas Savimbi in Angola.
The best part of Casino Jack is the archival footage that puts the disgraced super-lobbyist in the context of the conservative movement stretching back to his years at the helm of the College Republicans in the early 1980s.
Topics: Alex Gibney, Casino Jack, Dana Rohrabacher, Jack Abramoff, Jonas Savimbi, Ralph Reed, Republicans, Tom DeLay
Comeback
Richard Pombo: An Ethics Retrospective
Former Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)
Tomorrow, former Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) is set to burst back onto the national political scene with a new bid for Congress in California.
Luckily, TPM's archives are bursting with stories of Pombo's ethical troubles -- the very troubles that helped sink his 2006 reelection bid after seven terms in office.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Bush Administration, CREW, Comeback, House Committee on Natural Resources, Jack Abramoff, Pac/West Communications, Richard Pombo, Tom DeLay, WWF
Tom DeLay
Reporters Who Know DeLay Best: Quadriplegic Tale Is New To Us
Two journalists who've covered Tom DeLay extensively over the years tell TPMmuckraker they've never heard of his story about protesters at a health care town hall in the 80s who "brought in quadriplegics on gurneys and dumped them on the floor in front of my podium."
"Jan Reid and I (and a researcher) spent a full year, reading clips and running down sources. Nowhere did I see any mention of quadriplegics brought in on gurneys," Lou Dubose, co-author of The Hammer: God, Money, and the Rise of the Republican Congress, tells TPMmuckraker in an e-mail. "We would have used if we had it."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)Topics: Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Does DeLay's Angry Quadriplegic Town Hall Protesters Tale Add Up?
DeLay gave this response, which piqued our interest:
Chris, you shouldn't be surprised about this. This has been going on forever. When I did my town hall meetings, I'll never forget one back in the '80s -- on health care, by the way. They brought in quadriplegics on gurneys and dumped them on the floor in front of my podium. I mean, this is not new. What's new is, the people that came into disrupt my town meetings, we just let them go on because it usually turned off the people that were there. What's happening here is the American people are on their side.
Wild stuff. Sounds like the town hall protest of the decade -- but did it actually happen?
Here at TPMmuckraker, we scoured news archives for such an incident -- and called around, including to DeLay's spokeswoman, who has not responded to questions about the episode.
Then we got a look at a May 1996 article from the Houston Chronicle about a series of protests by the disabilities advocacy group ADAPT, brought to our attention by Democratic consultant Peter Lindstrom.
It begins like this:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (28)Topics: Tom DeLay
Jack Abramoff
Two Thumbs Up! Kevin Spacey To Play Abramoff in Casino Jack
Get ready for Jack Abramoff: The Movie.
The well-sourced Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke reported Friday that Kevin Spacey and director George Hickenlooper were visiting the disgraced former lobbyist in prison -- as part of their research for Casino Jack, which will start filming next month, with the man who once played Keyser Soze in the lead role. (Variety had reported last August on plans for the project, then known as Bagman.)
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (11)Topics: Jack Abramoff, Karl Rove, Lobbyists, Tom DeLay
Allen Stanford
Stanford Lawyer: SEC Using Sir Allen As "Distraction" From Madoff
Yesterday, we noted BusinessWeek reporting that Dick DeGuerin, the high-profile Texas lawyer who has represented Tom DeLay and David Koresh, among other bold-faced names, might have signed up to defend accused massive Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford.
And today, the magazine confirms that DeGuerin is on the case -- and that the official Stanford fight back, after weeks of being portrayed as a corrupt, Gatsby-esque fraud -- is underway.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Allen Stanford, Securities and Exchange Commission, Stanford Financial Group, Tom DeLay
Allen Stanford
Report: Stanford May Hire DeLay Lawyer
We probably should have seen this coming.
Billionaire Texas banker Allen Stanford is considering hiring Dick DeGuerin -- the heavy-hitting Texas defense lawyer who has represented a string of big-name clients, including former House Speaker Tom DeLay -- to defend him on charges that he orchestrated an $8 billion Ponzi scheme, reports BusinessWeek.
The magazine sources that news to "a person familiar with the securities fraud investigation" into Stanford, and adds:
A secretary for DeGuerin says the attorney had been contacted about representing Stanford, but declined to comment further.PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)
Topics: Allen Stanford, Securities and Exchange Commission, Stanford Financial Group, Tom DeLay
Allen Stanford
Six Degrees Of Allen Stanford
Here at TPMmuckraker, the more we think about the Allen Stanford saga, the more it seems like a kind of harmonic convergence of recent high-profile muck.
The emerging story's range of ties -- some incidental, some more substantive -- to some other high-profile scandals of the past few years, from Bermard Madoff to Jack Abramoff to Rod Blagojevich -- is pretty striking.
First, Madoff.
It's not just that questions about the pace of the SEC's Stanford investigation -- including whether the agency's decision to bring charges yesterday was prompted in part by recent news reports -- have to be considered in light of the SEC's well-documented missteps on the Madoff case.
It's also that, according to the SEC complaint, Stanford's investors were exposed to losses via Madoff -- but falsely assured them they weren't.
From the complaint:
In a December 2008 Monthly Report, the bank told investors that their money was safe because SID "had no direct or indirect exposure to any of [Bernard] Madoffs investments."But, contrary to this statement, at least $400,000 in Tier 2 was invested in Meridian, a New York-based hedge fund that used Tremont Partners as its asset manager. Tremont invested approximately 6-8% of the SIB assets they indirectly managed with Madoffs investment firm.
Pendergest, Davis and Stanford knew about this exposure to loss relating to the Meridian investment. On December 15, 2008, an Analyst informed Pendergast, Davis and Stanford in a weekly report that his "rough estimate is a loss of $400k ... based on the indirect exposure" to Madoff'.
As for Abramoff, we reported yesterday that a bevvy lawmakers with ties to the crooked lobbyist or a history of other ethical problems - including then-GOP members of Congress Bob Ney, Katherine Harris, Tom Feeney, and John Sweeney, as well as current Rep. Charlie Rangel -- went on a 2005 junket to Antigua that was funded by an organization with close links to Stanford.
Indeed, until yesterday, that organization, the Inter-American Economic Council, had photographs from the trip -- showing Harris, Feeney, and pals hobnobbing in splendor with Antiguan dignitaries -- posted on its website. It's since removed them, but not before we saved them. You can see the slideshow here.
And there's also another congressional angle which, though not on a par with the Abramoff sleaze, nonetheless appears to reflect the cynical money-for-access culture that has characterized Washington politics in recent years:
In 2002, as we reported yesterday, after lobbying from Stanford's firm, the Democratic-controlled Senate killed a bill designed to bolster efforts to catch financial fraud. During that cycle, Stanford's company had given an eye-popping $800,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. And according to campaign finance records examined by TPMmuckraker, it had also given generously to key Democrats on the Senate Banking committee: $8000 to Chuck Schumer, $6000 to Chris Dodd, and $1000 to then-chair Paul Sarbanes.
So there's that.
What about Blago?
Well, it turns out that, according to lobby disclosure reports examined by TPMmuckraker, one of Stanford's paid lobbyists in 2002 -- the year that the firm was lobbying on the anti-financial-fraud bill -- was John Wyma. One form lists Wyma and his team's work as "Helping them address legislature (sic) which involves financial services companies."
In case you'd forgotten, Wyma used to be one of Blagojevich's closest aides, before cooperating with Pat Fitzgerald's investigation by secretly recording conversations with the then governor.
The two were apparently think as thieves at one time. The Chicago Tribune reported at the time of Blago's arrest:
The governor routinely reported exchanging personal gifts and often appeared at Wyma-sponsored fundraisers where Wyma's clients hobnobbed with the governor before turning over checks for his campaign fund.
Now all we need is a link to the U.S. Attorney firings, and we'll be all set.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: Allen Stanford, Bernard Madoff, Bob Ney, Charles Rangel, Jack Abramoff, Katherine Harris, Rod Blagojevich, Securities and Exchange Commission, Stanford Financial Group, Tom DeLay
Allen Stanford
Stanford-Tied Group Funded Numerous Antiguan Trips For Lawmakers
The number of lawmakers who may have taken trips to Antigua and Barbuda backed by alleged billion-dollar fraudster Allen Stanford just keeps getting bigger.
According to congressional travel disclosure reports posted on the Legistorm website, between 2003 and 2005 several members of Congress or their aides took trips to the island nation that were financed by the Inter-American Economic Council.
Among the lawmakers current or former: Bob Ney (R-OH), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Max Sandlin (D-TX), Donald Payne (D-NJ), John Sweeney (R-NY), Phil Crane (R-IL), and Gregory Meeks (D-NY).
Aides to Ney, Sessions, Sandlin, and Tom DeLay (R-TX) also soaked up the Antiguan sun.
Stanford is closely tied to the IAEC. In 2006, he received the organization's "Excellence in Leadership" Award. A press release put out by the group declared that Stanford "has strongly supported the work that the IAEC is doing in Latin America and the Caribbean."
There's no firm evidence that Stanford paid for all these lawmakers' trips. But he certainly seems to have been a major financial backer and ally of the outfit that did.
We've called the IAEC to ask about its ties to Stanford and will let you know what we find out.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (14)Topics: Allen Stanford, Bob Ney, John Sweeney, Stanford Financial Group, Tom DeLay
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