The grand jury accused the men of conspiring to route corporate donations from DeLay’s Texas committee to the Republican Party in Washington, then returning the money back to Texas legislative candidates. It was a scheme intended to evade a state law outlawing corporate donations going to candidates, the indictment said.
Criminal conspiracy is a Texas felony punishable by six months to two years in a state jail and a fine of up to $10,000. The potential two-year sentence forced DeLay to step down under House Republican rules.
A consultant under indictment with Rep. Tom DeLay has been paid roughly $88,000 in fees by the political committee of Rep. Roy Blunt, who is temporarily replacing DeLay as House majority leader, according to federal records.
Records on file with the Federal Election Commission show the fund linked to Blunt retains Ellis’ firm, J.W. Ellis Co., and has made periodic payments for services. Political Money Line, a nonpartisan Internet tracking service, places the total at about $88,000.
Ellis is one of three political associates of DeLay, R-Texas, who have been indicted in an alleged scheme to use corporate political donations illegally to support candidates in state elections. Ellis also runs DeLay’s national political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority.
Face it, Democrats and Republicans are both corrupt, the Libertarian Party can’t stop acting like a debate club, and we’re stuck in the middle, fucked.
Meanwhile, Sen. Bill Frist is being accused of insider trading for divesting himself of Hospital Corporation of America stock just before the company announced its second quarter earnings were less than expected, resulting in a drop in the stock price. Frist claims he sold the stock to eliminate a potential conflict of interest, as his father is one of the company’s founders and his brother one of the company’s board of directors.
I hope they get him… but in all honesty, I’m more interested in Plamegate, as that has implications on much of the administration, all the way up to cheney and bush.