DeLay cited with new House rules violations
2/25/2005
National Journal’s Saturday bombshell: DeLay cited with new House rules violations
National Journal to report DeLay violated House ethics rules
RAW STORY
The National Journal’s Peter Stone tore open the DeLay fundraising scandal in a Saturday exclusive printed Friday, RAW STORY has learned.
The prominent lawyer and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is being investigated by federal authorities for his lobbying efforts of an Indian tribe and his relations with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), paid for DeLay and DeLay’s staff’s stay in an expensive London hotel in mid-2000.
National Journal has obtained a copy of an expense voucher that Abramoff filed the law firm where he was then a leading lobbyist, Stone reports.
“Among the big-ticket expenses that Abramoff listed for reimbursement was a bill for the DeLays at the Four Seasons Hotel in London in the amount of $4,285.35,” Stone writes. “The voucher shows that the total reimbursement for expenses was $13,318.50. For some reason, it shows that both Abramoff and Buckham were owed that amount.
“The voucher shows that Abramoff was accompanied by DeLay and his wife; Hirschmann and her husband; and Ed Buckham, DeLay’s former chief of staff who had also become a lobbyist,” Stone continues.
“Abramoff’s voucher lists the purpose of the trip as “client relations” and names “MS Choctaw” as the client account to which the expenses were allocated,” Stone notes. “At the time, Abramoff and Preston Gates were representing the Mississippi Choctaws, a tribe that runs casinos. “
Stone notes that Abramoff and his wife personally have personally contributed $40,000 to DeLay’s campaigns and his political action committee in the last eight years, citing the Center for Responsive Politics.
House rules stipulate that members or members’ employees cannot accept payment from a registered lobbyist to cover travel costs.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office said the Journal piece documents a pattern of behavior by DeLay.
“It just seems another example of inappropriate behavior by Mr. DeLay,” Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly told RAW STORY.
The Journal will also report that a little known conservative thinktank on whose board Abramoff served paid for another facet of the same trip. The Center for National Publicy Policy research picked up a hefty $70,000 tab–including $28,000 for DeLay and his wife, and $28,000 for DeLay’s then-chief of staff.
Stone hammers out a damning quote from a former senior Republican aide.
“To the casual observer, it was a pretty simple deal,” a former House leadership aide told the Journal. “Jack raised money for the pet projects of DeLay and took care of his top staff. In turn, they granted him tremendous access and allowed him
to freely trade on DeLay’s name.”
DeLay’s press secretary, Dan Allen, told the Journal the congressman had done nothing improper.
“We did everything we were supposed to do and disclosed the expenses that the national center provided us,” Allen said. “We have no control over what somebody may have done beyond that. This is the first time we are hearing of this expense report.”
Allen did not return a RAW STORY request for comment today.
Associate News Editor Larisa Alexandrovna contributed to this article.
Clarification: The Journal piece was printed Friday and dated Saturday in their print and paid-restricted editions.
National Journal’s Saturday bombshell: DeLay cited with new House rules violations
National Journal to report DeLay violated House ethics rules
RAW STORY
The National Journal’s Peter Stone tore open the DeLay fundraising scandal in a Saturday exclusive printed Friday, RAW STORY has learned.
The prominent lawyer and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is being investigated by federal authorities for his lobbying efforts of an Indian tribe and his relations with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), paid for DeLay and DeLay’s staff’s stay in an expensive London hotel in mid-2000.
National Journal has obtained a copy of an expense voucher that Abramoff filed the law firm where he was then a leading lobbyist, Stone reports.
“Among the big-ticket expenses that Abramoff listed for reimbursement was a bill for the DeLays at the Four Seasons Hotel in London in the amount of $4,285.35,” Stone writes. “The voucher shows that the total reimbursement for expenses was $13,318.50. For some reason, it shows that both Abramoff and Buckham were owed that amount.
“The voucher shows that Abramoff was accompanied by DeLay and his wife; Hirschmann and her husband; and Ed Buckham, DeLay’s former chief of staff who had also become a lobbyist,” Stone continues.
“Abramoff’s voucher lists the purpose of the trip as “client relations” and names “MS Choctaw” as the client account to which the expenses were allocated,” Stone notes. “At the time, Abramoff and Preston Gates were representing the Mississippi Choctaws, a tribe that runs casinos. “
Stone notes that Abramoff and his wife personally have personally contributed $40,000 to DeLay’s campaigns and his political action committee in the last eight years, citing the Center for Responsive Politics.
House rules stipulate that members or members’ employees cannot accept payment from a registered lobbyist to cover travel costs.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office said the Journal piece documents a pattern of behavior by DeLay.
“It just seems another example of inappropriate behavior by Mr. DeLay,” Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly told RAW STORY.
The Journal will also report that a little known conservative thinktank on whose board Abramoff served paid for another facet of the same trip. The Center for National Publicy Policy research picked up a hefty $70,000 tab–including $28,000 for DeLay and his wife, and $28,000 for DeLay’s then-chief of staff.
Stone hammers out a damning quote from a former senior Republican aide.
“To the casual observer, it was a pretty simple deal,” a former House leadership aide told the Journal. “Jack raised money for the pet projects of DeLay and took care of his top staff. In turn, they granted him tremendous access and allowed him
to freely trade on DeLay’s name.”
DeLay’s press secretary, Dan Allen, told the Journal the congressman had done nothing improper.
“We did everything we were supposed to do and disclosed the expenses that the national center provided us,” Allen said. “We have no control over what somebody may have done beyond that. This is the first time we are hearing of this expense report.”
Allen did not return a RAW STORY request for comment today.
Associate News Editor Larisa Alexandrovna contributed to this article.
Clarification: The Journal piece was printed Friday and dated Saturday in their print and paid-restricted editions.
posted by JimG at 12:38 PM
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