Category Archives: Scandalized!

Huge story in the WaPo tying together all kinds of monetary threads between Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay. I’ll quote a bit, but you really have to read the whole thing to understand it. The U.S. Family Network, a public … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The ongoing DeLay appeals process keeps on going as the Court of Criminal Appeals has given Travis County DA Ronnie Earle one week to respond to the motion to dismiss the indictments. The state’s highest criminal court has given Travis … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Jack Abramoff is one step closer to a plea deal for both the Miami and DC cases against him. Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist under indictment for fraud in South Florida, is expected to complete a plea agreement in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s good to be the king. As Tom DeLay became a king of campaign fundraising, he lived like one too. He visited cliff-top Caribbean resorts, golf courses designed by PGA champions and four-star restaurants _ all courtesy of donors who … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Poor Tom. U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay’s hopes for a trial early next year were dealt a severe blow today when the judge put the case on hold pending an appeal by the state of the dismissal of one charge. DeLay … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Another plea deal in L’Affaire Abramoff. Adam Kidan’s plea bargain is likely to require that he cooperate in the case against Abramoff involving the SunCruz Casinos deal and perhaps even testify against his old partner. Kidan pleaded guilty to conspiracy … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Wow. There’s some real potential blockbusters in this story. Capital Athletic Foundation, a charity run by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff now at the center of an influence-peddling investigation on Capitol Hill, told the IRS it gave away more than $330,000 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Recently, State Rep. Pete Gallego sent a letter to former TRMPAC treasurer Bill Ceverha requesting that he resign from the board of the Employees Retirement System of Texas in light of his filing for personal bankruptcy after losing a TRMPAC-related … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Travis County DA Ronnie Earle has asked for a stay of the January trial date for Tom DeLay and the TRMPAC Triplets so he can appeal Judge Pat Priest’s dismissal of one of the indictments against DeLay. DeLay’s lawyer, Dick … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chron reviews Judge Pat Priest’s ruling on the DeLay indictments from last week and gets an analysis of what the prosecution’s burden will be from civil attorney Cris Feldman, who was the lead counsel in the successful lawsuit against … Continue reading → Continue reading →

After that ruling that threw out one of the conspiracy charges against Tom DeLay, the judicial landscape hasn’t been as friendly for him. The judge in U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay’s criminal case said today he is unlikely to allow DeLay … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tom DeLay had one of the felony indictments against him thrown out today, but a second one was upheld by visiting judge Pat Priest. Priest dismissed charges of conspiracy to violate the state election code but upheld a money laundering … Continue reading → Continue reading →

What do the following people have in common? Kevin Brady Michael Burgess John Carter Louis Gohmert Randy Neugebauer Ted Poe Pete Sessions Yes, I know, they’re all Republican Congressmen from Texas. They’re all also the recipients of campaign contributions from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And another front has been opened in the Jack Abramoff Scandal-Go-Round as Texans for Public Justice has sent a letter to Travis County Attorney David Escamilla requesting that he investigate possible violations of the Texas electoral code by former Christian … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There’s so many lawsuits and investigations relating to TRMPAC’s activities from 2002 that it’s sometimes hard to keep track. John Colyandro, the indicted former executive director of TRMPAC, now has one less lawsuit to worry about. On Tuesday, a federal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There was another rally in support of embattled former Majority Leader Tom DeLay yesterday, and another protest outside of said rally. Two items of interest from the story: One is that you can’t actually tell from the AP wire piece, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Stakeholder notes that Tom DeLay was ready to spring into action to regain his Majority Leadership had Judge Pat Priest done what he wanted and dismissed his indictments. From a Roll Call article, which I’ve reproduced beneath the fold: … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Remember Bill Ceverha, the onetime treasurer for TRMPAC who declared personal bankruptcy last month so he wouldn’t have to pay a portion of the plaintiffs’ legal fees as ordered by the court? Apparently, he’s on the board of the $19.9 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Republican Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham of San Diego has pleaded guilty to a variety of counts of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004. In a statement, prosecutors said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Josh Marshall sums it up. You know that when the casino boat line SunCruz was owned by Jack Abramoff and Adam Kidan, the company paid the men who blew away SunCruz founder Gus Boulis. Now it turns out they also … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Poor Tom DeLay. He won’t be able to blame this on Ronnie Earle. The Justice Department’s wide-reaching investigation of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has entered a highly active phase as prosecutors are beginning to move on evidence pointing to possible … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Judge Pat Priest did not take my advice (at least for now), and will make us all wait two more weeks for a ruling on the DeLay motion to throw out his indictments. Senior Judge Pat Priest said he had … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I didn’t really have the time this weekend to write anything about this, but Jack Abramoff cohort and former DeLay staffer Mike Scanlon has apparently agreed to testify for the prosecution against his erstwhile partner in crime. Along the way, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So sorry I’m missing this event tonight, but we had to go grocery shopping. High-profile lobbyists and Republican operatives will gather for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres tonight in hopes of raising more than $200,000 for embattled U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s just so hard to keep up with all the wrongdoing these days. The Republican Party of Texas avoided prosecution Thursday by agreeing to stop using corporate money in several ways being investigated by Travis County Attorney David Escamilla. Escamilla’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Agonist points to an AP wire story about some emails between Ralph Reed and disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is currently under federal indictment for fraud as well as under investigation by the Senate Indian Affairs committee, which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The WaPo has a fascinating story today about the monthlong dance between Tom DeLay and Ronnie Earle that almost led to a misdemeanor plea on DeLay’s part but instead wound up with the felony indictments against him. A key question … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Now that we’re all done playing Judge Roulette, it’s time to move on to the next game for Team DeLay: their change of venue motion. Defense attorneys argue that DeLay has been vilified and wouldn’t get a fair trial in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ll say this for Tom DeLay: The man knows how to travel in style. Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) “filed a report with the Clerk of the House of Representatives indicating he received free travel valued at $13,998.55 from Fox News … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And we have a new judge in the DeLay money laundering trial: Pat Priest. A Democratic judge was named on Thursday to preside over the money-laundering and conspiracy case against U.S. Republican Rep. Tom DeLay in an appointment made by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Fight fire with fire, I guess. In an unprecedented move, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle filed a motion Thursday asking a Republican presiding judge to remove himself from the decision about who will be the trial judge in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

When we get a new judge for the DeLay money laundering trial, he or she should deal with this in all due haste. Retired District Judge C.W. “Bud” Duncan Jr., a Democrat, removed [Travis County Judge Bob] Perkins from the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So now that Team DeLay has gotten its wish to boot Judge Bob Perkins from the Hammer’s money laundering trial, who else is there that can take over? DeLay’s attorneys, Dick DeGuerin and Richard Keeton of Houston, argued that their … Continue reading → Continue reading →

For now, at least, Tom DeLay has gotten what he wants: a new judge in his money laundering trial. Travis County Judge Bob Perkins must step aside from presiding over the money-laundering trial of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, a visiting … Continue reading → Continue reading →