[Mb-civic] Prosecutor Broadens DeLay Inquiry - Washington Post
William Swiggard
swiggard at comcast.net
Fri Jan 6 03:55:02 PST 2006
Prosecutor Broadens DeLay Inquiry
Data on GOP Donation to U.S. Family Network Demanded
By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 6, 2006; A05
The Texas prosecutor who secured an indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay
(R-Tex.) on money-laundering charges broadened the scope of his inquiry
into election spending yesterday, demanding documents related to funds
that passed through a nonprofit organization, the U.S. Family Network.
The group, which was founded in 1996 by DeLay's then-chief of staff,
Edwin A. Buckham, received $500,000 in 1999 from the National Republican
Congressional Committee and used some of the money to finance radio ads
attacking Democrats. The Federal Election Commission fined the party in
2004 for its role in the funding.
The prosecutor, Ronnie Earle, sent subpoenas yesterday to Buckham; the
group's former president, Christopher Geeslin; the NRCC; and the
treasurer of DeLay's leadership political action committee, Americans
for a Republican Majority.
The subpoenas asked for all documents related to the $500,000
contribution, including any correspondence involving DeLay or Jack
Abramoff, the lobbyist who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe public
officials and other crimes this week. The Washington Post reported
Saturday that the largest donors to the U.S. Family Network were all
associated with Abramoff. They contributed hundreds of thousands of
dollars to the group before it folded in 2001.
Earle, an elected district attorney in Travis County, Tex., did not
reveal in the subpoenas why he believes he has jurisdiction over the
campaign spending. Carl Forti, a spokesman for the NRCC, told the
Associated Press, "I'm going to call Roswell and warn them that Ronnie
Earle is on the witch hunt for the Martians they have there," referring
to the New Mexico city famous for an alleged UFO landing.
DeLay is awaiting trial in Texas for allegedly conspiring to launder
corporate donations sent to a group he organized, Texans for a
Republican Majority, for use in the 2002 state legislative elections. He
has denied any wrongdoing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/05/AR2006010502331.html?nav=hcmodule
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