Tom DeLay

Reporters Who Know DeLay Best: Quadriplegic Tale Is New To Us

Justin Elliott | August 20, 2009, 6:46PM

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."

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Tom DeLay

Does DeLay's Angry Quadriplegic Town Hall Protesters Tale Add Up?

Justin Elliott | August 20, 2009, 4:25PM

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:

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Jack Abramoff

Two Thumbs Up! Kevin Spacey To Play Abramoff in Casino Jack

Zachary Roth | April 27, 2009, 3:08PM

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.)

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Allen Stanford

Stanford Lawyer: SEC Using Sir Allen As "Distraction" From Madoff

Zachary Roth | March 26, 2009, 2:31PM

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.

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Allen Stanford

Report: Stanford May Hire DeLay Lawyer

Zachary Roth | March 24, 2009, 6:27PM

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.

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Allen Stanford

Six Degrees Of Allen Stanford

Zachary Roth | February 18, 2009, 2:24PM

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.

Allen Stanford

Stanford-Tied Group Funded Numerous Antiguan Trips For Lawmakers

Zachary Roth | February 17, 2009, 4:12PM

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.

Sex

Indictment: Federal Judge Forced Sex On Subordinate

Zachary Roth | January 7, 2009, 4:15PM

A federal judge in Texas is facing new charges related to a second alleged incident of sexual abuse.

District Judge Samuel Kent pleaded not guilty in Houston today to federal charges that he sexually abused a female employee and lied to investigators about it, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Kent is accused of forcing an unnamed female employee, in the words of the Chronicle, sourcing the indictment, "to repeatedly 'engage in a sexual act,' including oral sex and using his hands to 'penetrate or attempt to penetrate' her", during 2004.

There's also an alleged coverup. The paper reports that, according to the indictment, Kent falsely told a special investigative committee that "the extent of his unwanted sexual contact with Person B was one kiss and that when told by Person B his advances were unwelcome no further contact occurred."

Kent is already the first ever federal judge to be charged with a federal sex crime. He faces a trial this month on charges that he allegedly abused his former case manager -- a relationship that the married justice's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, has described as "enthusiastically consensual."

According to the Chronicle, that woman...

...alleged that the judge physically touched her under her clothing twice and often made obscene suggestions during the six years she worked for him. He is charged with abusing McBroom in 2003 and 2007 by fondling her breast and other body parts and by trying to force her head toward his groin.

Kent was the only federal judge in Galveston, Texas, when all the incidents are alleged to have occurred. He has since been transferred to Houston, where he remains on the federal bench.

Another interesting note: DeGuerin, Kemp's lawyer, is a heavy hitter in Texas legal circles who has also represented Tom DeLay -- the former Majority Leader who was indicted in 2005 on charges that he conspired to break Texas election laws -- and Branch Davidian cult leader David Koresh.

Alaska

Monegan: Todd Palin Was "Venting"

Zachary Roth | October 10, 2008, 9:22PM

About that meeting between Todd Palin and Walt Monegan, arranged by Todd Palin:

Monegan described to investgators that Todd Palin recounted to him the evidence against Wooten that had came out in the 2005 internal trooper probe -- including that Wooten tasered his stepson and drank while driving a patrol car.

Said Monegan: "He told me ... this guy shouldn't be a trooper."

Monegan added:

"My impression initially was that he's venting. I mean, there was a complaint, the troopers investigated it and they came up with a conclusion, and that he was not happy with he conclusion.

And often, having been a cop for a long time, that actually happens a lot in divorce cases."

Tom DeLay

Feds Subpoena Records for Former DeLay Aide

Paul Kiel | September 20, 2007, 5:50PM

John Bresnahan over at The Politico reports that a federal grand jury has subpoenaed House payroll records for Ed Buckham, formerly ex-Rep. Tom DeLay's (R-TX) chief of staff. Bresnahan notes that it's a clear indication that the feds are closing in on Buckham, who left DeLay to found the Alexander Strategy Group, the firm that made millions as the gateway to DeLay during the heady years when he ran the Hill.

Buckham, as DeLay's bag man, has long been considered the key to prosecutors building a case against DeLay as part of the Jack Abramoff investigation. The vise has been closing on him for quite some time. But Peter Stone reports in this month's National Journal that Buckham finally turned down a deal offered by prosecutors to plead guilty, and that "he expects to be indicted soon."

Buckham would be the third former DeLay aide to be targeted in the scandal. Two other ex-aides who went on to work with Abramoff, Michael Scanlon and Tony Rudy, have pleaded guilty.

Note: Here's our rundown on all of Buckham's many entanglements.

Update: Back in May, DeLay challenged the Justice Department to "Fish or cut bait. Do something," since they seemed to be taking their own sweet time questioning his associates about his relationship to Buckham and Abramoff. It appears that the Department has chosen the "fish" option.

Tom DeLay

Tom DeLay Briefed on Warrantless Surveillance in March '04

Spencer Ackerman | August 15, 2007, 11:26AM

Here's something that comes to us via very-alert DailyKos diarist drational. The day after Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card ran to John Ashcroft's hospital room to have him overrule acting attorney general James Comey's determination that the administration's warrantless surveillance program was illegal, the White House gave a briefing on the super-secret program to none other than Tom DeLay.

Practically no members of Congress knew about the surveillance. The White House typically limited Congressional notification about the program to the bipartisan political leadership of the House and Senate and the heads of the Congressional intelligence committees -- the so-called Gang of Eight. DeLay, then the top House Republican, has no intelligence experience, and just the day before, at the White House, House Speaker Dennis Hastert received a briefing about the program, making DeLay's presence the next day redundant. The second-ranking House Democrat in 2004, then-whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland, didn't receive a similar briefing.

"It sounds like a political decision on the part of the White House, rather than one driven by legal imperatives or Congressional norms," says Steven Aftergood, an intelligence expert with the Federation of American Scientists. "The obvious speculation is that they judged that they had a political fight on their hands and wanted to enlist him on their side."

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Tom DeLay

DeLay Wins Appeal, Case Continues On

Paul Kiel | June 27, 2007, 12:42PM

The latest development in ex-Rep. Tom DeLay's (R-TX) looooong, winding legal road: DeLay successfully argued to have a conspiracy charge dropped against him -- but he's still on the hook for money laundering charges. Today a state appeals court upheld an earlier district court ruling, the AP reports. To give you a sense of how fast they move down there in Texas, it took a whole year for the appeals court to deliver its ruling.

DeLay was indicted in September of 2005 by Austin District Attorney Ronnie Earle -- since then, both camps have been battling over the charges. A trial date has still not been set.

The charges here deal with accusations that DeLay helped funnel corporate political contributions (illegal in Texas) through his political committees to state candidates. DeLay is also reportedly under federal investigation for his ties to Jack Abramoff, but he has not been charged.

Jack Abramoff

Today's Must Read

Paul Kiel | May 9, 2007, 9:00AM

Hell hath no fury like a lawmaker searched!

Or something like that.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) is furious that the FBI is thoroughly investigating him, issuing subpoenas for documents, and interviewing a number of his former aides.

For one thing, the Justice Department just won't stop asking questions about his wife's work for two organizations controlled by Ed Buckham, a lobbyist and close associate of Jack Abramoff. Here's DeLay speaking with reporters yesterday:

“They’re going after other people and they’re questioning the other people about whether they know anything I may have done. And we’ve given them all the records and that’s the problem they’re having.... [My wife] did her work and she was underpaid for the work she did and they can’t make the case. It’s a Justice Department that is running amok. Fish or cut bait. Do something.”

Yeah, bring 'em on!

It's at this point that DeLay's defense lawyer, Richard Cullen, steps in to moderate. You can hear the soothing tone: “When Tom DeLay said that [about Justice], it reflected frustration that many people feel when they are involved in an investigation... We are very comfortable that the Justice Department is proceeding properly and expeditiously."

Investigators have reportedly been probing whether DeLay's wife actually did any work at those jobs, but that's far from their sole focus. Abramoff and DeLay were key allies; a bond forged by millions of dollars. It's no coincidence that two of DeLay's former aides have pled guilty in the Abramoff scandal, and a third, Buckham, is in danger of being indicted.

But DeLay isn't the only lawmaker who's outraged (outraged!) by the FBI's tactics. Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), who is also in investigators' sights for his ties to Abramoff, just can't believe that the FBI searched everything in his house:

“The agents systematically searched our home, removing every book, turning over every couch cushion and every pot and pan, and rummaging through every drawer, file cabinet, cupboard and closet...”

The nerve.

Jack Abramoff

Paper: Investigators Bear Down on Former DeLay Aide

Paul Kiel | April 25, 2007, 2:49PM

The Jack Abramoff investigation has certainly come roaring out of its hibernation.

Next on the list, apparently, is Tom DeLay's former right-hand man, Ed Buckham. From The Houston Chronicle:

...prosecutors could decide within weeks whether to bring charges against former DeLay staff chief Edwin Buckham, according to sources close to the investigation who spoke on the condition that they not be identified. The decision should give a clear signal on whether DeLay remains in legal jeopardy, the sources said.

As we've noted before, Buckham was the main cog in DeLay's operation and a close associate of Abramoff.

And he also -- to further burnish his status as a distinguished muckrakee -- acted as the lobbyist for Brent Wilkes, the defense contractor who was recently indicted for bribing Duke Cunningham and CIA #3 Dusty Foggo.

Tom DeLay

Breaking: DeLay Blog Ghost Written!

Paul Kiel | December 12, 2006, 3:00PM

Via ThinkProgress, I see that Tom DeLay has admitted to not authoring his own blog posts. "“I have the ideas, and I have somebody else put the words together," says he.

Punchline, anyone?

Tom DeLay

Tom DeLay: Blame Americans First

Eric Kleefeld | December 12, 2006, 11:58AM

Here's another major Republican name who blames Americans first for the problems in Iraq — and will explain why. Tom DeLay, appearing on Hannity and Colmes last night to promote his new on-and-off blog, took square aim at the real culprits for problems in the war in Iraq. "It's the fault of the liberals and the media and the Democrats, that from the very beginning have tried to undermine the will of the American people to fight this," DeLay said.

After Alan Colmes, in a moment of bravery, reminded DeLay that Democrats were out of power during the course of this war, DeLay nevertheless set out to explain in detail just how the problems in Iraq are the fault of liberals and other war critics. "It has nothing to do with power," DeLay said. "It has everything to do with perception, Alan, and you know it as well as I do."

The new slogan for Fox News and the Bush Administration: "It has everything to do with perception."

Tom DeLay

Tom DeLay: Conservative, Defendant, Blogger

Paul Kiel | December 11, 2006, 9:32AM

TPMmuckraker welcomes Tom DeLay, former Majority Leader and frequent post subject, to the blogosphere.

Although the stated purpose of TomDeLay.com is to "find new ways to connect, unite and organize conservatives from all over America into a real grassroots political force," I have to say, the blog is the perfect place for him to keep everyone updated on all his legal travails. Hopefully he'll realize that eventually. Who better to give us the skinny on the Jack Abramoff investigation than one of its main subjects?

Update: More on Tom DeLay's "new conservative force" here.

Update: Shortly after launching, DeLay's blog quickly dropped the comments after his invitation in his inaugural post to "speak truth to power" was taken too literally by visitors. Luckily, an enterprising blogger preserved them here.

Tom DeLay

A Wheelbarrow Full of Cash? Priceless.

Paul Kiel | November 28, 2006, 1:11PM

And the medal for most imaginative ethics ruling goes to... Texas! From The Houston Chronicle:

A Texas official who receives any sum of cash as a gift can satisfy state disclosure laws by reporting the money simply as "currency," without specifying the amount, the Texas Ethics Commission reiterated Monday.

The 5-3 decision outraged watchdog groups and some officials who unabashedly accused the commission of failing to enforce state campaign finance laws.

"What the Ethics Commission has done is legalize bribery in the state of Texas. We call on the commission to resign en masse," said Tom "Smitty" Smith, who heads Texas Citizen, an Austin-based group that advocates for campaign finance reform.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, said the "currency" interpretation would render it "perfectly legal to report the gift of 'a wheelbarrow' without reporting that the wheelbarrow was filled with cash."

Presumably that trick would also work with a bathtub, a pinata, or any other vessel that you'd care to give your lawmaker or state official.

Earlier this year, the commission ruled that a gift of a check, no matter the amount, could simply be disclosed as "checks."

The ruling stems from a case last year, when Houston millionaire and GOP attack group funder Bob Perry gave Bill Ceverha, a member of the State Employees Retirement System board, a $50,000 check, which was disclosed only as "check." According to the Chronicle, "[b]oth men have said the check for $50,000 was supposed to help cover legal fees Ceverha incurred defending himself against a civil lawsuit related to his role as treasurer of former Majority Leader Tom DeLay's Texas fundraising operation."

Tom DeLay

TX GOPers Fight with Song

Paul Kiel | September 11, 2006, 4:34PM

We've noted the desperate straits that the Republicans in Texas' 22nd District find themselves in before. How can they possibly achieve the almost unprecedented feat of winning with a write-in candidate? And one with a hyphenated name at that?

The Los Angeles Times has the answer: song.

At a campaign stop last week, congressional candidate Shelley Sekula-Gibbs asked a group of women who own businesses to vote for her twice in November: once in a special election to fill the unexpired term of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and again in the general election as the Republican write-in candidate running for the full two-year term.

The women, meeting for breakfast in a hotel banquet room, looked up from their scrambled eggs as Sekula-Gibbs launched into a jingle to drive home the point: "Vote twice for Shelley," she sang to the tune of "Roll Out the Barrel." "Special and then write her in."

Hmm... Under most circumstances, I'd say that "Vote twice for Shelley" is an unwise campaign slogan.

Tom DeLay

TX-22: Where Democracy Goes Crazy!

Paul Kiel | September 1, 2006, 4:20PM

The screwiest election in recent memory just got screwier.

Now Democratic candidate Nick Lampson, who's been calling for a special election since May when DeLay announced he'd be retiring, says that he won't be running in the special election, choosing instead to focus on the general.

That's in response to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) call earlier this week for a special election to fill Tom DeLay's seat in the House. The election will take place the same day as the general election, November 7th, and will ensure that Shelley Sekula-Gibbs will appear on at least one ballot (if not on the general election ballot) on Election Day.

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Tom DeLay

Gov Perry Calls TX-22 Special Election

Paul Kiel | August 29, 2006, 4:13PM

As if the race for Tom DeLay's old seat weren't confusing enough already, what with a hyphenated Republican write-in candidate, now voters will also have the opportunity to elect a temporary representative to fill the empty seat from November through January. The elections (general and special) will take place the same day.

As a benefit of Gov. Rick Perry's move, voters will now see at least one ballot with the name of the official GOP candidate. Perry's spokesperson says they waited this long because of DeLay's legal wranglings.

The AP explains:

In the general election, Democrat Nick Lampson is the Democrat candidate, and Republicans have thrown their support behind Houston city councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs as a write-in candidate after the courts refused DeLay's efforts to remove his name from the ballot.

Because both elections are on the same day, there's a chance Lampson and Sekula-Gibbs could appear on both ballots. That means one of them could win both elections, taking over after the election and remaining in office for a two-year term starting in January.

Tom DeLay

DeLay "Disappointed in Our Justice System"

Paul Kiel | August 25, 2006, 9:13AM

From the AP:

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said he never thought the courts would prevent the Republican Party from replacing him on the November ballot, a Houston television station reported Thursday.

"I'm very disappointed in our justice system. There doesn't seem to be justice," DeLay told KTRK-TV....

DeLay said he doesn't have second thoughts about his decision to resign from Congress and give GOP leaders a chance to replace him on the ballot.

"Knowing what I know now, I don't think I would have done it any differently because I read Texas law, I knew what Texas law was," he told the television station.

Does this sound like a man who needs a legal team drawn from nine different firms? Won't all those lawyers just get in the way of his righteous knowledge?

Tom DeLay

DeLay Co-Defendants: Law Is Too Confusing

Paul Kiel | August 22, 2006, 6:11PM

From The Austin-American Statesman:

"The law that helped drive U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay from office and put two of his allies under criminal indictment can't be understood by the "man in the street," defense lawyers argued this morning.

Lawyers for Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, two DeLay lieutenants who operated Texans for a Republican Majority during the 2002 campaign, argued that the 3rd Court of Appeals should throw out indictments brought against their clients because the state's ban on corporate campaign money is confusing."

Via The Stakeholder.

Tom DeLay

For TX GOP, Is Disaster Spelled S-H-E-L-L-E-Y S-E-K-U-L-A--G-I-B-B-S?

Paul Kiel | August 22, 2006, 4:52PM

After Tom DeLay dropped out last week, the Texas GOP was forced to try a Hail Mary, throwing their support behind a write-in candidate. But the candidate's name -- Shelley Sekula-Gibbs -- may be a problem.

In short, the Republican strategy is now this: tens of thousands of GOP voters will go to the polls on November 7, ignore the names printed on the ballot, and write in a hyphenated name of 20 characters (counting spaces). A long shot, for sure -- as the AP noted, only four candidates in U.S. electoral history have ever succeeded with a write-in campaign.

But it gets trickier. Voters in Texas' 22nd District will use the eSlate electronic voting machine. I decided to take it for a test drive and experience the thrill of democracy myself -- which you can do on Hart Intercivic's website.

Read more »

Jack Abramoff

Scandal Firm Earned Big Till The End

Paul Kiel | August 22, 2006, 2:15PM

Tom DeLay's former aides continued to make millions off their access to the onetime majority leader even after major scandals broke, new filings show.

Alexander Strategy Group may be no more, but they had their biggest year ever in 2005 -- before abruptly closing their doors in January of this year due to the Jack Abramoff probe.

The small firm, known for its unrivaled access to Tom DeLay, pulled down $8.13 million in 2005 from big-time clients like Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), UPS, RJ Reynolds, and the U.S. Telecom Association, making 2005 the firm's biggest year yet, according to lobbying disclosure records filed last week.

$170,000 of that came from Brent Wilkes, one of the defense contractors fingered for bribing Duke Cunningham in the congressman's guilty plea.

Read more »

Tom DeLay

TX-22: Tough-Talking Wallace Withdraws

Paul Kiel | August 21, 2006, 3:44PM

David Wallace had thumbed his nose at the 22nd District Republican powwow last week and said he'd run no matter who they picked to be official write-in candidate. That "may have worked in Moscow," he said then.

Well, apparently it works in Sugar Land, too. After pressure from local and national Republicans, Wallace is dropping out, helping Republicans improve their prospects from hopeless (two write-in candidates) to dismal (only one).

Update: More here. Turns out the Republican National Committee had promised to put $3 million in the race -- but only if Wallace dropped out.

Tom DeLay

To Replace DeLay, TX GOP Picks Polite over Pushy -- But Pushy Won't Leave

Paul Kiel | August 18, 2006, 8:42AM

In the wake of Tom DeLay's messy exit, local Republican leaders have been scrambling to find a replacement. Last night, a meeting of Republican precinct chairmen selected Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs to be their chosen write-in candidate.

But another prominent local Republican, David Wallace, also filed as a write-in candidate and earlier this week vowed to run regardless of the meeting's outcome, deriding the process as "something that may have worked in Moscow." (Sekula-Gibbs said she'd drop out if the party elders didn't choose her.)

So it looks like Republicans, already severely disadvantaged by lacking a legitimate official candidate on the ballot in Texas' 22nd District, will have the added handicap of having two GOPers running as write-in candidates. As the AP points out, only four men have ever been elected to Congress as write-in candidates.

Will Wallace stick to his guns? We hope to hear soon. With the disarray among Republicans in the district so great that some have publicly endorsed the Libertarian candidate, Democrat Nick Lampson is sitting pretty.

Update: TPM Reader AG chimes in:

Quick thought - Everything else being equal, wouldn't a 'John Smith' have a better chance of being written in than a 'Shelley Sekula-Gibbs?' Is the actual name of the candidate any part of the calculus that the Republicans are thinking of? I know it sounds stupid, but I was living in the Bay Area in 1999, when Tom Ammiano almost won as a write-in candidate for mayor of San Francisco, and I recall there being some confusion as to how close to his name you had to write on the ballot. Just a thought.

Tom DeLay

Texas GOPers Squabble over Write-In Pick

Paul Kiel | August 17, 2006, 12:28PM

Wow -- the disaster continues to unfold. From today's Houston Chronicle:

Republican leaders hoping to preserve the party's hold on the district formerly represented by Tom DeLay disagreed Wednesday about a meeting scheduled tonight to seek consensus on a write-in candidate.

Fort Bend County Chairman Gary Gillen wrote a letter to prospective candidates in the county urging them not to attend the meeting, saying it excluded grass-roots Republicans. But his counterpart in Harris County, Jared Woodfill, said the gathering was the best way to unify the party behind a single Republican candidate.

As I noted yesterday, one Republican candidate is already thumbing his nose at the process, saying he'll run no matter what the outcome of the meeting.

The Republicans hope for retaining DeLay's seat is already faint since coaxing voters to write in a candidate's name is notoriously difficult -- but if they can't agree on a single candidate, then the situation fast becomes hopeless.

The disarray has caused one Republican, former Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), to publicly endorse the Libertarian candidate. While not a GOPer, he does have his name on the ballot.

Tom DeLay

In Texas, Front-Running DeLay Replacement Spars with Local GOP

Paul Kiel | August 16, 2006, 8:49AM

Texas Republicans are scrambling to choose their party's "official" write-in candidate to oppose Democrat Nick Lampson's congressional run. Because Tom DeLay withdrew late from the race for Texas' 22nd district seat, Republicans are barred from officially nominating a candidate and placing his or her name on the ballot.

At least three GOPers have thrown their hats in the ring, and the local Republican leadership is scheduled to meet Thursday to make the call. One, perceived frontrunner David Wallace -- also mayor of DeLay's (former?) hometown of Sugar Land -- says he's running no matter what party says.

Last week, Wallace's spokesman called the Republicans' powwow a "non-binding mock election." Harsh, no? But since then he's juiced up his rhetoric even further. Here's Wallace in today's New York Times:

[Wallace] disparaged the meeting, saying “that may have worked in Moscow,” and vowed to keep running even if it meant two Republican write-in candidates.

Although Wallace has raised the most money and claims the support of many local big-wigs, there is apparently some resistance to Wallace's push in the party. For one, the Texas Republican Chairwoman is "no friend of his campaign," he told the Times.

At least two other Republicans have expressed interest in running for the seat. One of them is Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, a dermatologist and Houston City Council member. She told me that unlike Wallace, she'd bow out if local Republicans tapped another candidate.

Tom DeLay

DeLay: Scalia Made "Stupid" Ruling

Paul Kiel | August 10, 2006, 10:24AM

Yes, Justice Antonin Scalia did stab Tom DeLay in the back -- it must be hard for DeLay to see it any other way. And he isn't happy.

From an interview with Byron York:

...courts up to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected DeLay’s arguments, and then Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who handles such matters for the Fifth Circuit, rejected DeLay’s argument in a matter of hours. I asked DeLay if he had a problem with Scalia’s handling of the case. “Yes, I do,” DeLay said. “He obviously spent no time looking at what’s happening in the court in which he has oversight. Within three hours, he denied this stay.”

“You can always count on the judiciary to make stupid rulings,” DeLay told me. “Not only stupid, but dangerous.”

And there's another gem from the interview. In Tom DeLay's statement withdrawing from the race, he explained that his move to Virginia was "irrevocable" -- there was simply no way he was ever going to reenter the race in Texas, no matter what a handful of federal judges said. It would have been "sheer hypocrisy," he said.

But, well, that irrevocability wasn't the real reason DeLay finally bowed out. He was still polling badly:

Before he made up his mind, DeLay commissioned a poll of voters in the 22nd District. “My negatives were still high,” he told me, even though he retained a sizable core of strong supporters. The poll also found that several other Republican candidates would have a better chance against Democrat Nick Lampson. Even though DeLay believed he could still win if he mounted a vigorous campaign, the poll reinforced his belief that getting out was the right thing to do.

Tom DeLay

DeLay Withdraws

Paul Kiel | August 8, 2006, 6:08PM

Earlier, I referred to whispers that rather than run himself, Tom DeLay would back a write-in candidate.

This afternoon he made it official. He's withdrawing from the race. As the AP reports, "Several Republicans said local party officials hoped to unite behind a write-in candidate, possibly David Wallace, mayor of DeLay's home town of Sugar Land."

Full statement here.

Tom DeLay

DeLay Headfake?

Paul Kiel | August 8, 2006, 11:37AM

Justice Scalia's decision yesterday gave the Texas GOP unsavory options: run Tom DeLay despite his troubles and unwillingness to serve, or let Lampson run unopposed. But there's a third -- and far riskier -- option: the state party can back a write-in candidate.

Time's Mike Allen reports:

On Monday, the Democrats won the ballot battle and Republican sources tell TIME that DeLay is leaning to another surprising move -- stepping aside and supporting a write-in candidate for his old seat.

A Republican official with first-hand knowledge of the deliberations by DeLay said he "more likely than not" will go that route, although he had not made a final decision. "With DeLay, you never know," the official said.

DeLay plans to make the announcement this week, the officials said....

Some Republican lawyers said the write-in strategy could prevail if DeLay's name remains on the ballot, or if officials allow him to withdraw so that no Republican name appears....

But the notion of a write-in campaign drew a different reaction in Texas. "This would be met with ridicule and scorn," said Bill Miller, a Republican consultant with close ties to the state's GOP legislative leadership. "This strategy would be like handing the seat to the Democrats on a silver platter," Miller said. "Tom Delay will be remembered for the craziest end to his political career."

Miller said it is arrogant to think voters will support a write-in gambit. "Anointing a candidate never works," Miller said. "Voters are likely to say, 'The hell with 'em' and write in their own name, their kid's name." Plus, if his name remained on the ballot, it is likely DeLay would attract some of the vote away from the write-in candidate.

Via Hotline.

Tom DeLay

Texas GOP: We Won't Let Democrats "Steal This Seat"

Paul Kiel | August 7, 2006, 5:50PM

So Tom DeLay has been forced to remain on the ballot. Will he be running?

I asked the spokeswoman for the Texas Republicans, Gretchen Essell, and this is all she would say for now: "We’re disappointed [in today's ruling], but under no circumstances will we allow the Democrats to steal this seat."

Tom DeLay

SCALIA: DELAY STAYS ON BALLOT

Paul Kiel | August 7, 2006, 5:01PM

Bad news for Tom DeLay.

Lawyer for the Texas Republicans James Bopp has just issued a notice that Justice Antonin Scalia has denied their stay request.

That means that Tom DeLay WILL be forced to run again -- or watch the Democratic opponent run without a GOP opponent.

Tom DeLay

GOP: "Help Us, Antonin Scalia. You're Our Only Hope"

Paul Kiel | August 7, 2006, 4:15PM

For better or worse, Tom DeLay's fate lays in the hands of Antonin Scalia.

As I just reported, the Texas GOP has filed an application with Justice Scalia to block the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. Scalia's decision, expected within the next couple weeks, will determine once and for all whether Tom DeLay will be forced to run again for his congressional seat.

Why? Because the Supreme Court will not be able to hear the case before the election. Texas GOP lawyer James Bopp said that the GOP will still pursue the case even if Scalia doesn't block the Fifth Circuit's ruling -- but that "from a practical standpoint," he told me, the GOP will have lost the case if Scalia doesn't go along.

If Scalia granted the application, then the Texas GOP would be able to immediately begin fielding a replacement for DeLay. If Scalia did not grant it, then DeLay would remain on the ballot -- forcing him to either run again or allow the Democrat, Nick Lampson, to run without a GOP opponent.

Now imagine this: There's one tricky scenario that could have the Republicans winning the seat in the election, but then losing it to the court's decision. If Scalia grants the stay, and the Republicans field a successful replacement candidate who goes on to win in November, the case would still go to the Supreme Court. If the Democrats won there, effectively annulling the Republican's victory, then the election could be successfully challenged by the Dems. It's not immediately clear what would happen in such a knotty situation (special election?), but it would be yet another instance burnishing the litigious legacy of Tom DeLay.

Tom DeLay

Texas GOP Files Stay Application with Justice Scalia

Paul Kiel | August 7, 2006, 3:19PM

Tom DeLay and the Texas Republicans say they're going to appeal last week's ruling that DeLay must remain on the ballot to the Supreme Court. Today, they started that process by filing an application to block the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. It's addressed to Justice Antonin Scalia, who handles Fifth Circuit appeals to the court.

If Scalia granted the application, the Texas GOP would be allowed to field a replacement candidate -- rather than waiting for the Supreme Court's decision, which could take months.

Tom DeLay

Feds Closing in on DeLay's Money Man?

Justin Rood | August 3, 2006, 4:42PM

The Feds appear to be encircling a key figure tying the Abramoff scandal to one of the most powerful Republicans of the past six years.

National Journal reports (not available online) that FBI agents have been interviewing former aides to onetime House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) about Ed Buckham, formerly one of DeLay's closest aides. They have also spoken with former advisors to Buckham's sham charity, the U.S. Family Network, about Buckham.

In addition, investigators have subpoenaed an evangelical political fundraising group, America 21, which took money from Abramoff and whose lawyer worked with Buckham at USFN.

Read more »

Tom DeLay

DeLay Will Appeal Today's Ruling

Paul Kiel | August 3, 2006, 3:55PM

How badly does Tom DeLay want to avoid running again for his seat? He's taking his case all the way to the Supreme Court: a statement just out from the Texas Republican Party says they will appeal today's ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The full statement is below.

Read more »

Tom DeLay

BREAKING: Appeals Court Rules Against DeLay

Justin Rood | August 3, 2006, 2:09PM

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a federal judge's prior decision: Tom DeLay stays on the ballot.

Update: Paul just spoke with DeLay counsel James Bopp. He said he didn't have a statement but would shortly, and it will address the issue of an appeal.

Late Update: From Hotline on Call - "The court held that, at the time DeLay was taken off the candidate slate, there was no firm evidence he had moved to Virginia and no conclusive evidence that he intended to live in VA on Election Day."

Later Update: To quote from the Opinion:

When [Texas Republican Chairwoman Tina] Benkiser reviewed the public records sent by DeLay and concluded that his residency in Virginia made him ineligible, she unconstitutionally created a pre-election inhabitancy requirement. The [Constitution's] Qualifications Clause only requires inhabitancy when that candidate is elected. Given this language, Benkiser could not constitutionally find that DeLay was ineligible on June 7, the date she made her decision. Therefore, her application of the ineligibility statute to DeLay was unconstitutional.

Tom DeLay

Judges Indicate They'll Rule against Republicans, DeLay

Paul Kiel | July 31, 2006, 4:28PM

If early accounts are accurate, Tom DeLay's likely to remain a GOP congressional candidate, despite his or his party's best efforts.

DeLay and the GOP have been trying to get courts to allow them to remove his name on the ballot in the race for Texas' 22nd District. But The Houston Chronicle reports the judges at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals were particularly critical in their questioning today.

The Republicans are trying to get the three judge appeals panel to reverse a federal judge's earlier ruling that Tom DeLay must stay on the ballot. The suit stems from a Democratic complaint that DeLay and the Republicans schemed to circumvent candidacy laws by moving to Virginia.

If DeLay loses this round, he'll either be forced to run again or let the Democrats take the seat without Republican opposition.

A decision is expected sometime within the next couple weeks.