Category Archives: Scandalized!

Travis County DA Ronnie Earle wants to keep some of the details about his investigation of Tom DeLay a secret. Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle doesn’t want to release details about his investigation of former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay … Continue reading → Continue reading →

A state district judge has thrown out one of the four indictments against the Texas Association of Business for activities related to the 2002 election. District Judge Mike Lynch ruled that 2002 pre-election ads produced by the group did not … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The first trial connected to the Jack Abramoff scandals has ended with a conviction. Former White House official David Safavian was convicted of hiding his aid to lobbyist Jack Abramoff and obstructing an inquiry into their trip to Scotland, in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s a start. The treasurer for Texans for a Republican Majority, a political committee at the heart of almost four years of criminal investigations and civil litigation, has paid $65,000 to former Democratic candidates in an attempt to end his … Continue reading → Continue reading →

From the DC Political Report, via The Muse: EXCLUSIVE: Tom DeLay To Be Investigated for Voter Fraud: D.C.’s Political Report has learned that a challenge has been filed with the City of Alexandria’s Voter Registrar alleging that former House Majority … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chronicle says good-bye to Tom DeLay. DeLay’s absence in office is already being felt. Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, said DeLay always stood ready to pursue or protect Texas’ interests in Congress. Now, as Texas fights to be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Give me a minute here. I’m getting all verklempt. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay urged colleagues today to “stand on principle” and ignore the media in a farewell speech to fellow House Republicans at their weekly private meeting. DeLay, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Au revoir, mes amis. Il a été bon de vous connaître. Texas pals of former House majority leader Tom DeLay are bidding adieu to their retiring leader with a single question: “Parlez-vous Francais?” DeLay doesn’t speak a lot of French, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I believe we have a new definition of “out of touch”: Uncritically citing a Colbert Report segment as support for your position that evil liberal forces are out to get you. Poor Tom. How the mighty have fallen. Continue reading →

What should be the last round of appeals in the Tom DeLay money laundering case has been filed by the Travis County DA’s office. Prosecutors in the case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay have asked Texas’ highest criminal court to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tiffany and I attended the fundraiser/Houston premiere for The Big Buy last night. This was the first time she had seen the movie – I of course saw an earlier version that was released just prior to DeLay’s indictment in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I mentioned before that there will be a fundraiser showing of The Big Buy this Friday at 7 PM at the Angelika Theater downtown. That showing is sold out, so there will be a second one immediately following, at 9 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s official: Tom DeLay has an exit plan for himself. Rep. Tom DeLay, the once-powerful majority leader whose career was undermined by scandal, said today that he would resign from the House on June 9. “As you are aware,” the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Big Buy, now subtitled “Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress”, is having its Houston premiere on Friday, May 19, at the Angelika Theater downtown. Here’s the press release that I got: An explosive new documentary about Rep. Tom DeLay’s scheme to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Darn those devious former chiefs of staff anyway. A Washington lobbyist who formerly served as chief of staff to Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) pleaded guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge in a continuing corruption probe surrounding disgraced former … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Didn’t manage to get to this yesterday, but (surprise!) email evidence has turned up that links Tom DeLay more tightly to his buddy, Jack Abramoff. Prosecutors have e-mails showing Rep. Tom DeLay’s office knew lobbyist Jack Abramoff had arranged the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

With every lousy poll that comes out for the Republican Congress, you have to think that some of them have asked themselves if it were possible for things to get any worse. If so, I have bad news for them. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Remember the woman who was shoved at the recent Nick Lampson press conference in Sugar Land, held shortly after Tom DeLay announced his future resignation from Congress? She’s filed a complaint in connection with the incident. The probe has taken … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Add another name to the list of Texas Congressfolk who may find themselves in trouble with the Justice Department: Rep. Pete Sessions. The Lone Star Project has the details. As the Lone Star Project predicted in January, questionable official actions … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The 3dr Court of Appeals in Austin has upheld the dismissal of the conspiracy charge against soon-to-be-former Congressman Tom DeLay. The Sugar Land Republican, who has announced he plans to retire from Congress, still faces money-laundering charges. But the appellate … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m sure you will all be pleased to hear that Tom DeLay’s fundraising has kept up a brisk pace despite the whole resigning-from-Congress thing. Hey, whatever, if the people who gave for one purpose only to find out later that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Texas Observer has a good story on how the incredible Ethics Commission decision on gift disclosure came about (see here and here for the background). Their process is as bad as you thought it was. Check it out. Continue reading →

State Rep. Lon Burnam has filed suit against the Texas Ethics Commission after its ridiculous ruling that bankrupt former TRMPAC treasurer and current State Employees Retirement System board member Bill Ceverha did not have to disclose how much money he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chron had a front-page story on Tony Rudy and his plea agreement yesterday, but before I get to that, check out this tidbit in the New York Daily News: The latest plea deal in the GOP lobbying corruption scandal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’d almost forgotten that in addition to Tom DeLay and the TRMPAC Three, there were also multiple indictments handed down to the Texas Association of Business (TAB), plus one against TRMPAC itself. Via Vince, I see that on Wednesday, TAB … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Word is that Tony Rudy’s plea agreement will implicate former DeLay Chief of Staff Ed Buckham, of US Family Network fame (see here, here, and here for more). From Bloomberg: Supporting documents released with the plea agreement put a third … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And we now have two ex-DeLay staffers pleading guilty to felony charges. Tony Rudy, a former aide to Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, will plead guilty today to one count in connection with the ongoing federal investigation of the activities … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Five years and ten months for Casino Jack. U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck sentenced Abramoff, 47, and his former partner, Adam R. Kidan, 41, to the shortest possible prison terms under sentencing guidelines in the case. In pleading for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tom DeLay is fighting to get his gun back after his concealed carry license was suspended due to his felony indictment. Under a Texas law passed in 1995, a license may be suspended if the holder is charged with a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Ralph Reed is in the clear in Travis County because the statute of limitations has run out. He had been under investigation by County Attorney David Escamilla that he had violated Texas law by not registering as a lobbyist. Mr. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This WaPo piece is a companion to the National Journal piece whose excerpts were in TPM Muckraker that I linked to over the weekend. It’s about DeLay buddy and former Chief of Staff Ed Buckham and the money he made … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You may recall this story from late last year about a Russian oil company funnelling $1 million to a phony “grassroots” group with deep ties to Tom DeLay for the alleged purpose of influencing his vote on legislation the International … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Well, the Texas Ethics Commission met to discuss the case of Bill Ceverha, as expected. What was not expected was for them to give one of the stupidest rulings I’ve ever heard of. The Texas Ethics Commission decided Friday that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This is too funny. It seems the Republican controlled Texas Legislature passed a law that if you’re indicted for a felony, you can’t be carrying a concealed handgun, even if you have a license. Oops. At the request of the … Continue reading → Continue reading →