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DeLay Indicted for Criminal Conspiracy

16:14 / 28.09.05

I don't know the full extent of this story. It ties into redistricting of Texas voters, funneling money in and out of Indian casinos, and even a contract killing in South Florida. Key names in that case: Jack Abramoff, lobbyist, Republican fundraiser and DeLay buddy, and John Gotti. The Dapper Don.

The Texas indictment is not related to that... yet.

There's too much information on this ongoing dive from power over at Talking Points Memo... where Mr. Marshall also points out that the Senate majority leader, Dr. Bill Frist, is having legal problems of his own....

Now, Mr. Marshall notes that DeLay seems to be positioning himself to return. But just how likely can that be?

And can anyone reduce the DeLay story to a few concise bullet points for me?

17:21 / 28.09.05

The Democratic Leadership Council outlines 10 potential reforms that this upheaval opens the way for... if the Democrats manage to press for them.

19:27 / 28.09.05

I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to put this - it's such a convoluted mess - but I want to stick in that Abramoff is also involved in another recent Bush official's resignation...

The short version is - Abramoff took Republican Congressman Robert Ney and David Safavian - head of the General Services Administration, on a golf trip to Scotland. The primary purpose of the trip was so Abramoff could court Ney, but he was also trying to get a contract with the GSA so Safavian was invited too. When Abramoff became the target of a criminal investigation, Safavian was questioned as to whether Abramoff had any business with the GSA at the time of the trip. Safavian denied it, but the FBI had evidence that he was lying, and they arrested him, so he resigned. He was involved in handing out Katrina relief/rebuilding contracts until his resignation.

21:11 / 29.09.05

The Texas indictment is not related to that... yet.

My (admittedly sloppy) understanding of what the indictment is about boils down to money laundering. I think the deal is, under Texas law it's illegal to take donations to state political campaigns, but it's not illegal for the Texas Repubs to give to the RNC, nor is it illegal for the RNC to give money to the Texas Republicans. So Delay, or at least his campaign workers, is accused of receiving illegal campaign contributions and running them through the RNC to make them "legal" - basic money laundering.

Delay quite predictably pinned the indictment as "blatant political partisanship" on the part of DA Ronnie Earle. But although Earle is a Democrat, he's known for being an apolitical moralist, and has prosecuted a number of Democrats, so the whole conspiracy theory idea doesn't hold water.

13:38 / 30.09.05

Was Abramoff (the money man) directly involved in the Texas fund transfers?

Apparently, what he's in trouble for (quoting Marshall here) is running an illegal slush fund for political purposes.

14:06 / 30.09.05

Oh, and while DeLay might have been "in bed" with lobbyists, his replacement, Roy Blunt is really in bed with them.

He married a Philip Morris lobbyist. His son works for them. In 2002, he got in a little hot water for inserting some Big Tobacco-friendly wording in a bill without telling anyone. His higher-ups in the Republican party yanked it.

14:14 / 30.09.05

Was Abramoff (the money man) directly involved in the Texas fund transfers?

No, I believe that's a totally separate matter. The men involved in the Texas case are Jim Ellis and John Colyandro - these were the guys handling the day-to-day operations. It's a bit like the corporate swindle cases where the CEO will claim to know nothing of the everyday business doings, but we'll see if that will work for DeLay.

The skinny on Blunt is pretty interesting - here's a guy who's up to his eyebrows in conflict-of-interest... but supposedly the word in Washington is that Blunt is more stupid than crafty. Incidentally, the reason DeLay didn't want Blunt to take his place is because the latter was second in command, so when he moves up, everyone moves up, and there's no easy way for DeLay to come back in like he wants to. The reason behind DeLay's odd choice of Dreiers (a moderate) for a replacement was that Dreiers would be a placeholder and could more easily be yanked back out.

17:27 / 30.09.05

Rumor is he's gay and therefore won't need convincing the core voter base wants him to step down after The Hammer's bashed his way out of this. Dreier, that is.

11:43 / 03.10.05

It gets better. If it turns out to be true and actionable, I hope Maggie's still compos mentis when the questions become official.

14:43 / 03.10.05

This link might be clearer.

Basically, Maggie Thatcher's set to get questioned in the DeLay money laundering scandal because she met with him in a possible cash-for-favors scheme in May, 2000.

18:08 / 20.10.05

He's just been BOOKED & FINGERPRINTED

is it wrong to wish his mugshot looked worse?

19:10 / 20.10.05

If he is gay then that side parting is unforgiveable.

On a more serious note, yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! I hope it's a really nasty prison he ends up in, sharing a cell with one of the more twisted guys from Oz. Or one of those pink-underwear chain gangs we hear about.

What's the White House respponse to this? Blair and Major, here in the UK, were infamous here for hanging onto their chums long beyond the point when it made sense and they ended up resigning anyway. Does George stand by his men or does he serve them up to the wolves firtst chance he gets?

19:36 / 20.10.05

Side partings are actually the height of metrosexual fashion right now. He's ubergay.

20:27 / 20.10.05

I can't stop laughing about this mugshot.

"he does come off as the happiest accused felon in our nation's history." -Daily Kos

21:34 / 20.10.05

The redness in the corners of his eyes gives the game away.

P. Horus Rhacoid

02:14 / 04.01.06

Jack Abramoff just pleaded guilty to fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion.

Basically, Abe and a business partner stole money from Indian tribes and used it to bribe various (primarily Republican) members of Congress. Both are expected to cooperate with prosecutors and name names (Tom Delay, Robert Ney, and potentially lots more). In other words, a huuuuge scandal might have broken open.

An analysis of the potential fallout here.

This is a lovely start to the year.

09:24 / 05.01.06

It gets better.

I'm not sure about the source of this story (Washington Post?) but it's a humdinger.

Yes, the year is off to a roaring start. Or, as the Year of the Dog doesn't start until later this month, it's a great finish to the Year of the Cock.

Shame the head of the Criminal Justice Division is Alice Fisher, promoted by Bush during the summer recess last year. She could decide to kill Abramoff's deal, or to just go after Harry Reid, one of the two or three Democrats to get any money from Abramoff. But if she's stupid enough to do that in the current climate, she's too much a political lightweight to carry it off. And Reid could decide not to run again, then, having nothing to lose, really go to town.

15:04 / 05.01.06

I think it's rather telling that all of the people associated with DeLay are apparently total asshats. I used to be the receptionist at one of John Colyandro's offices, and a more pompous, abusive jerkoff would be difficult to find.

A lot of people are going to go down when Abramoff starts talking, I think.

15:16 / 05.01.06

Unless he meets with an accident, or has a sudden change of heart and decide it is in his best interests not to bring old friends to the court house...

Let's not be counting any chickens...

15:38 / 05.01.06

I suppose I should have said, I hope...

Politics being what it is, though, I suppose it's more likely that only a couple of people will take the fall, if any. Some people are better at covering their tracks than others; I wonder what sort of documentation Abramoff has?

09:14 / 06.01.06

Whatever he's giving the feds, it must be pretty good. The plea agreement has Abramoff on the hook for combined sentences of up to 30 years, almost the rest of his life. How many years come off that (and whether the sentences are served concurrently) depends on how useful the feds find Abramoff and how forgiving they feel afterwards.

The above link also quashes the idea that Alice Fisher, head of the DoJ Criminal Justice Division will (directly at least) limit the damage to Republicans and just go after the Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.

After the picture, some want to give Jack the Goodfellas-style nickname "Jackie Hats" ("Jack the Hat" is already taken).

08:51 / 07.01.06

On a more serious note, yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! I hope it's a really nasty prison he ends up in, sharing a cell with one of the more twisted guys from Oz. Or one of those pink-underwear chain gangs we hear about.

It's Texas, sugar, they'll just kill him.

Regarding Bush's attitude to his friends going down, it's a three phase process: 1. Praise of official, possibly including a medal. 2. Deafening silence, for weeks or more, usually spent at a ranch. 3. The resignation of said official, of course completely uncoerced. Bush is saddened and surprised.

The NPR commentators were practically salivating when Abramoff pled guilty. The tones of their voices, it was like listening to phone sex. "Who do you think needs to be worried? Who's been bad?"

12:11 / 12.01.06

Now, now, Sally. We only kill people who kill people.

Or, rather, who are convicted of killing people, which isn't necessarily the same thing...

12:37 / 12.01.06

Perhaps he should be 'interrogated' using some of those lovely Gitmo approved techniques that aren't torture in any way at all, honest...