Ellis, Colyandro Deny Cooperation With Earle (the DeLay indictment)

[MADem]

October 6, 2005
By John Bresnahan,
Roll Call Staff

Two political associates of Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) have denied rumors that they are cooperating with Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle in his investigation of the former House Majority Leader, spurring further questions about the source of “additional information” that Earle claimed he had received against DeLay last weekend. On Monday, Earle convinced a Texas grand jury to issue felony indictments against DeLay for money laundering and conspiring to violate Texas’ ban on using corporate campaign donations in state legislative races. A lawyer for a third DeLay associate who also is under indictment in the Texas probe, Warren RoBold, did not return calls seeking comment on whether he is cooperating with Earle’s investigation.

However, attorneys for Jim Ellis and John Colyandro issued a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon refuting any suggestion that they were assisting Earle while also proclaiming their clients’ innocence. Colyandro was the executive director of Texans for a Majority PAC, which is at the heart of Earle’s investigation, while Ellis is the head of Americans for a Republican Majority PAC, DeLay’s federal leadership PAC. Both organizations were created by DeLay, and Earle is investigating a $190,000 soft-money donation by TRMPAC to an arm of the Republican National Committee in September 2002. Those funds were later routed back to Republican state candidates in Texas as hard money, and Earle alleges this transaction violated Lone Star State law. Corporate campaign donations cannot be used in Texas state legislative races.

“Rumors are circulating, and have been aired in the media, to the effect that Jim Ellis or John Colyandro has reached a deal to cooperate with with Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle in his vendetta against Congressman Tom DeLay. These rumors are absolutely false,” said a statement from J.D. Pauerstein, a partner in the San Antonio, Texas-firm of Loeffler Tuggey Pauerstein Rosenthal. Joseph Turner, Colyandro’s lawyer, said the statement covered both men.

...Since the second indictments came down Monday there had been widespread speculation that Ellis, Colyandro or RoBold were cooperating with Earle. Wednesday’s statement by Ellis and Colyandro was designed to quash those rumors.
(sub req) http://www.rollcall.com/issues/51_33/news/10775-1.html

Well, SOMEONE's been talking!!!!!

[tompayne1]

1. in his vendetta against Congressman Tom DeLay.?

PEOPLE IT IS NOT A FREAKING VENDETTA! the man broke the law he is finally getting burned.

[texpatriot2004]

2. Exactly! It's long overdue for DeLay. n/t

[MADem]

3. Well, what do you expect from the guy's LAWYER?

He has to use dramatic language to defend his client. It's what they do....

I'm curious who the little birdie was. Someone sang, obviously, unless they left a paper trail so egregious that a blind Hansel and Gretel could follow it out of the woods...

[0007]

4. Tom Craddick, the Texas House Speaker was hauling that money

around and giving it to Tom's boys. How come he wasn't indicted there's much evidence on him as Ellis, and Colyandro? Probably more! Hmmmmmmmm.

[MADem]

5. Say...does he have a fine singing voice????? n/t

[0007]

6. I don't know! The folks here in Texas don't think that Craddick

has anything to worry about. Also they claim that Tom DeLay would fuck Craddick up so bad that he'd wish he had a cell with "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, if he sang. :shrug:

[MADem]

7. Interesting article that touches on Craddick, here

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-10-07/pols_feature6.html

The rapid action raises new questions about whether House Speaker Tom Craddick and others tied to the investigation are truly in the clear, as Craddick's attorney and political observers suggested after last Wednesday's disbandment of a grand jury that had spent six months weighing evidence in the case.

...Still, the ongoing uncertainties surrounding Craddick don't exactly ensure his re-election as speaker, Miller acknowledged. Rumors of a Republican challenge are nothing new, however. "There is no lack of ambition in the Legislature," Miller said. "But there is a distinct lack of courage. It's always easier to talk about then it is to actually do." ...

The illustration to the article is a hoot, as well:

[PurityOfEssence]

8. Please don't Baxterize me, Mr. Tom!

The whiff of ratshot's in the air...

[librechik]

11. yeah, Big Tony and Little Tony know how to deal with snitches

good thing they're already in jail.

somebody else could be sent.

[blm]

9. Is this the same James Ellis who went after Kerry way back in 1984?

If it is, that dude has been a longtime operative for BushInc and worked for the Bush family interests before he linked with Tom DeLay.

[MADem]

10. Dunno, but he is in like Flynn with Blunt and others as well

This is a real hair curler! http://www.firedupamerica.com/jimellis

[stillcool]

12. You may be thinking of John Ellis...

who wrote for the 'Herald', before he called Florida for Bush (his cousin) in the 2000 election while employed at FOX. I tried to see if these two bozo's are related, but could find zero info...except for the fact John Ellis has 2 brothers and a sister. They grew up in Concord MA, and mom who is Poppy's sister lives in Beacon Hill.

[blm]

13. I'm pretty sure the character who went after Kerry in 84 was James Ellis.

Kerry was definitely targeted by the RNC. They did NOT want him in the Senate. He had already been a target on the GOP radar for 13 years at that point. And Bush1 was running RNC operations for Nixon when Kerry was originally targeted.

I have no doubt that James Ellis worked for BushInc. I have no idea if he's from the Ellis-Bush family, though. Or if DeLay's Jim Ellis is the same guy. But, it certainly seems too coincidental.

[Toots]

14. So Republicans will not cooperate with law enforcement and brag about it

:shrug: what else is new. Didn't they swear an oath?