Press Releases

May 06, 2008

There’s No Place for Tom DeLay’s Smear Campaign in Northeast PA

Corrupt politician Opens Extremist Group in Clarks Summit

Today, Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay will open an office and hold a fundraiser in Clarks Summit in an effort to shore up support for his new extremist and divisive cause—Coalition for a Conservative Majority.  Like the Club for Growth, the Coalition for a Conservative Majority seeks to raise money for extremist candidates to turn around and run negative and misleading ads against Democratic candidates. 

“Tom DeLay was run out of Washington, run out of Texas and is now slithering to Pennsylvania for a last ditch effort to shore up support for an out of touch extremist vision of where our country should be headed,” said Carrie James, northeast regional press secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Tom DeLay is a corrupt politician, willing to break the law and bend the rules to suit his own out of touch political agenda.  Tom DeLay should take his smear campaign and move it out of Northeast Pennsylvania.”

TIMELINE OF DeLAY’S SCANDALS

In May 2006, DeLay Retired Before The Ethics Committee Could Fully Investigate His Many Overseas Trips.  [House Ethics Committee press release, 5/17/06]

In 2005, DeLay and Associates were indicted on money laundering charges and conspiracy to commit money laundering in order to circumvent Texas’s ban on using corporate money to fund political campaigns.  DeLay’s TRMPAC was ordered to pay $196,000 in damages to Democrats and over ARMPAC was ordered to shut down its soft money operation for violating campaign finance laws. [Houston Chronicle, 5/27/05]  [Associated Press, 5/26/05], [CNN, 5/26/05], [Roll Call, 10/27/05]

In 2004, DeLay Was Admonished By House Ethics Committee for Abuse of Power.  In 2004, the House Ethics Committee admonished DeLay for the third time for abusing his influence during the Texas redistricting fight, highlighting certain, “House rules that bar members from taking ‘any official action on the basis of the partisan affiliation . . . of the individuals involved.’” DeLay used his position as Majority Leader to make the Federal Aviation Administration track the private plane.  He then tried to make the legislators return to Austin.  The Ethics Committee observed that, “DeLay’s role in the matter ‘raises serious concerns under these standards of conduct.’” [Washington Post, 10/7/04]

In 2004, DeLay Was Admonished By House Ethics Committee Over Medicare Bribes.  In 2004, after a six month investigation, “House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, was admonished by the House ethics committee for using improper bargaining to try to persuade a fellow Republican to change his vote on a Medicare prescription drug bill.” DeLay had tried to persuade Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI.) to vote for a Medicare prescription drug bill, which “narrowly passed.”  Smith, who voted against the bill, said that GOP leaders offered “bribes and special deals,” including a large contribution of “$100,000-plus” for his son’s congressional campaign. [AP, 10/1/04; Washington Post, 2/6/04, New York Times, 2/10/04]

In 2003, DeLay Offered Endorsement for Vote on Medicare Bill.  Tom DeLay was admonished for his role in pressure Rep. Nick Smith to support Medicare legislation in 2003 in exchange for an endorsement of his son Brad in the Republican primary race to succeed Rep. Smith. [Washington Post, 10/02/04]

Since 2001, DeLay’s Wife and Daughter Were Paid Over $500,000 from His Political Groups.  DeLay's political action and campaign committees have paid his wife and daughter over $500,000.  DeLay’s daughter, Dani DeLay Ferro, has received about $30,000 from DeLay’s Texas political action committee TRMPAC, which was dismantled after a Texas judge in a civil case found it funneled corporate contributions to state legislative elections.  [New York Times, 4/6/05; Associated Press, 5/26/05]

In 2000, DCCC Filed RICO Lawsuit.  In 2000, the DCCC filed charges against Tom DeLay saying DeLay and his related organizations are acting outside the law and violate RICO by “racketeering through extortion, money laundering, and monetary transactions in illegal proceeds” and recounted allegations of pressure tactics by DeLay to force trade groups and lobbying organizations to stop supporting Democrats.  [Roll Call, 9/11/00]

In 1998 DeLay Was Admonished By House Ethics Committee For Involvement In K Street Project.  In 1998, according to Roll Call, “DeLay’s endeavor to force the Electronics Industry Association to back off its choice resulted in unwanted publicity and a formal admonishment of the Texas Republican by the House Ethics Committee.”  DeLay continued to try to frontload K Street with GOP lobbyists even though he was admonished by the House Ethics Committee for doing just that. [Roll Call, 3/12/01, Roll Call, 2/11/04]

In 1998, DeLay Was Admonished By House Ethics Committee For Involvement In K Street Project.  DeLay was admonished by the House Ethics Committee for his involvement with a group that pressured lobbyists to hire Republicans and donate to their campaigns, commonly known as the “K Street Project.”  DeLay’s admonishment was sparked by his effort to force the Electronics Industry Association to hire a Republican as opposed to their choice, a Democrat.  In 2004, DeLay re-launched his K Street Project.  “After privately fuming for years, DeLay sat down with a group of his top lieutenants two weeks ago to figure out how to get GOP lobbyists to contribute the maximum $4,000 allowable to vulnerable Republican candidates, as well as giving the $25,000 limit to the National Republican Congressional Committee.”  [Roll Call, 3/12/01, Roll Call, 2/11/04]

In 1997 Abramoff Organized A Trip For DeLay That Was Paid For By Saipan Garment Interests.  DeLay traveled with his wife and daughter and several aides including Ed Buckham.  DeLay did not declare this trip on Congressional disclosure reports. [ABC News, 4/6/05; Associated Press, 3/30/05; Time 3/21/05]