DeLay PAC Lawsuit Goes to Trial in Texas

[cal04]

Testimony began Monday in a case brought by five Democrats who allege a political action committee started by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay improperly spent about $600,000 in corporate contributions to unseat them. Plaintiffs' attorneys displayed in court e-mails and handwritten notes made by principals of Texans for a Republican Majority that they said proves corporate money was improperly spent.


A lawyer for the treasurer of Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee denied that. Texas law bans the use of corporate money to influence the outcome of an election but allows its use for administrative costs for political committees, such as rent or utility bills. Republicans swept to complete power in state government in 2002 when the GOP seized majority control of the Texas House for the first time since the 1870s. DeLay has not been accused of any wrongdoing and has congressional immunity from being forced to testify. But evidence presented in the civil case could affect an ongoing criminal investigation that has resulted in indictments against three top fund-raisers for DeLay.


Last year, the House ethics committee deferred action on investigating any role played by DeLay in the corporate campaign donation controversy. The trial before state District Judge Joe Hart is expected to last a week. Among the witnesses subpoenaed to testify are Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick, who was swept to power by the GOP majority, and Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business, the state's largest business lobby. Neither is a defendant in the lawsuit.


Craddick is not expected to appear in court himself. Hammond, the Texas Association of Business president, once boasted that his group had spent $1.9 million to support Republican candidates in 2002 legislative campaigns.



http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&u=/ap/20050228/ap_on_re_us/election_investigation&printer=1

[Warpy]

1. Oh, gawd, I hope the prosecution has their ducks in a row

Delay is the only thing holding the rotten edifice of GOP solidarity together. If he goes, they crumble.

I want that son of a bitch gone so bad I can smell it.

[DebinTx]

2. I hope they wipe the smirk off all repuke faces with this.

I really wish it would land DeLay in jail but that won't happen, damnit.

[Old and In the Way]

3. $600,000 on rent and utility bills?

Seems a tad extravagent....but it is DeLay and Republicans we're talking about here. Nothing but the best for these crooks.

[TheFarseer]

4. He should be banished from the USA

for what he has done to politicize and currupt out government to the insane level that it is. There are many people that have contributed to this but I blame him above anyone else.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[merh]

6. It's a civil trial, not a criminal trial.

:shrug:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. This is the civil end of the dispute

It can have impact on the criminal factor in the future but for now it's just a civil proceeding.

[Moderator]

8. kick to combine threads

[rodeodance]

9. DeLay PAC Lawsuit Goes to Trial in Texas

god, I hope this one sticks!!

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&u=/ap/20050228/ap_on_re_us/election_investigation&printer=1

DeLay PAC Lawsuit Goes to Trial in Texas

2 hours, 31 minutes ago

By KELLEY SHANNON, Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN, Texas - A high-stakes political fund-raising trial began Monday as Democrats argued that the treasurer of a committee formed by House Republican Leader Tom DeLay broke the law by using corporate money to get GOP legislative candidates elected.

Photo
AFP/Getty Images/File Photo



"This case is about basic laws protecting the integrity of the political process," attorney Cris Feldman said in opening statements on behalf of five Democrats who lost legislative races to Republicans in 2002.

GOP victories that year gave the Texas House its first Republican majority since the 1870s and propelled Rep. Tom Craddick to speaker. Craddick and DeLay later pushed a redistricting plan through the Legislature that resulted in today's commanding GOP advantage in the state's congressional delegation.

The five Democrats are suing Bill Ceverha, treasurer of Texans for a Republican Majority. They contend the organization used $600,000 in corporate money for political purposes and did not report the money to the Texas Ethics Commission, all in violation of state election code. The use of corporate money for political purposes is illegal in Texas.

[woosh]

10. didn't the redistricting get

struck down as well?

[imenja]

12. I don't think so

a number of Republicans were elected in November because of that redistricting. That's how Martin Frost lost his seat.

[mermaid]

14. If Only...

No, It didn't get struck down.

I used to be in the 10th District, which covered most of Travis county, and was always represented by a strong Liberal voice from Austin.

district 10 got gerrymandered into a 60-40 Republican majority district covering nothern parts of austin/Travis county and Williamson county...and stretching east nearly to Houston.

Travis county got sliced and diced into three different districts in an attempt to target my own Congressman, Lloyd Doggett.

Didn't work. Lloyd ran for the new 25th District, instead...whcih is where I live....and it covers southern and eastern Travis County and runs in a narrow, ragged finger all the way down to Mexico.

the third district that has a part of Travis covers mostly Western Travis and remained the 21st district, Represented by Lamar Smith. Who is a real fucking piece of work.

That district also seems to run most of the way down to Mexico, taking in a good bit of San Antonio on the way.

[imenja]

11. congressional immunity for Delay

Later in the article it states: "DeLay has not been charged with any crime and has congressional immunity from being forced to testify in the civil lawsuit." Immunity. Now isn't that handy.

[rodeodance]

13. it is past time to bring this slimyest of the slimeballs DOWN!!

[Rose Siding]

15. Here's Reuters: DeLay Group Illegally Used Corporate Money -Lawyer

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A political action committee formed by U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay illegally used $600,000 in corporate money to help Republicans win control of the Texas Legislature in 2002, attorneys for defeated Democrats said on Monday.

"This case is about corporate funds that were not reported but were used for political purposes," lawyer Cris Feldman said in opening arguments of a suit against Bill Cervera, treasurer of DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority, or TRMPAC.
...
TRMPAC is also under criminal investigation for its role in the 2002 vote that saw Republicans take control of the Texas Legislature for the first time since the 1870s.

Cervera denied wrongdoing and told the court he knew little about TRMPAC's financial activities, despite his position. He said former DeLay fund-raiser John Colyandro, the committee's executive director, ran most day-to-day operations.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20050301/pl_nm/politics_texas_dc

The Sgt Schultz defense is getting a workout today.