DeLay's "Dirty Money"

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According to the Campaign for America's Future website, "241 sitting members of Congress" have taken money from Tom DeLay's political action committee. It should be noted that all recipients are Republicans. [1]

Biggest Recipient: Mike Ferguson
Representative Mike Ferguson (R-New Jersey) was "the biggest DeLay money recipient in Congress, who clocked in at a cool $42,403." [2]

DeLay Owns the Republicans
"Only five Republicans in the House haven't accepted his dirty money, and one of those was a Democrat until recently. The five are:

Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb., Rep. Todd Platts, R-Penn., and Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La." --Atrios, October 19, 2005.

Political Money Carousel

Long-time political allies DeLay and Roy Blunt, "the deputy who succeeded him as House majority leader, orchestrated a political money carousel in 2000 that diverted donations secretly collected for presidential convention parties to some of their own pet causes.

"When it all ended, DeLay's private charity, along with the consulting firm that employed DeLay's wife and the Missouri campaign of Blunt's son, Matt, who now is the state's governor, all ended up with a piece of the pie, according to campaign documents reviewed by The Associated Press." [3]

"Jack Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist recently charged in an ongoing federal corruption and fraud investigation, and Jim Ellis, the DeLay fundraiser indicted [September 28, 2005,] with his boss last week in Texas, also appeared in the picture." [4]

"DeLay has received perks from Abramoff for years, including an 'education and golfing' trip to Korea, funded by a registered foreign agent, which is a violation of House rules. ("The money was funneled through a Washington tax-exempt group and the trip arranged" by Abramoff.)" [5]

Also involved in the transactions is the Alexander Strategy Group, the "political consulting firm formed by DeLay's former chief of staff, Ed Buckham." [6]

"None of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations DeLay collected for the 2000 convention were ever disclosed to federal regulators because the type of group DeLay used wasn't governed by federal law at the time." [7]

DeLay's Congressional Benefactors

The June 16, 2005, issue of The Hill provided a current listing of Congressional benefactors who pitched in to help defray DeLay's $125,003 in legal costs. The majority contributed $5,000, with a couple at $2,500 and $1,000. However, the "standouts" at $10,000 each were Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Missouri) and Rep. Henry Bonilla (Texas). [8]

DeLay's PACs

DeLay's "Take"

The source of DeLay's funding during the 2001-2002 campaign cycle appears to have been only from PACs and "Other Committees" and none appears to have come through individuals.

Additionally, an oddity occurs in that, when comparing DeLay's funding to that of others also receiving funding from PACs and "Other Committees", he ranks near the bottom 20% of the list. This ranking is not the same thing as the amount of dollars received, which is significantly less than those near the top of the list.

Of the "Top 50 House Campaigns by Contributions", DeLay ranks 40 out of 50 and of the "Top 50 House Incumbent Campaigns by Contributions from PACs and Other Committees", his ranking is nearly the same, as he was ranked at 39 out of 50.

For such a veracious fund-raiser, it would seem that his "income" was less important than his "out-go".

SourceWatch Resources

DeLay External Links

Links Specific to "Dirty Money"

General Info

2003

2004

2005

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