Category Archives: Scandalized!

Look out! Tom DeLay’s scandaliciousness is spreading! A group of congressional figures has joined House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) under an ethics cloud stemming from foreign golf junkets arranged by a lobbyist facing influence-peddling investigations. DeLay landed in trouble … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The NYT reports that documents submitted as evidence during the TRMPAC lawsuit show a more detailed level of involvement by Tom DeLay. The documents, which were entered into evidence last week in a related civil trial in Austin, the state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We were out at dinner with some out-of-town friends last night, so the “60 Minutes” piece on Tom DeLay is still sitting on my TiVo waiting for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t check out the transcript (via The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve got my TiVo set to record 60 Minutes tonight, as they do a story on the various investigations into Tom DeLay. How about you? Continue reading →

The TRMPAC lawsuit wrapped up yesterday as both sides made their closing arguments. It’s in the hands of the judge now, and apparently he’ll take two to six weeks to hand down his decision. Some brief recaps: The Chron notes … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The plaintiffs have rested and the defense has been putting on its case in the TRMPAC lawsuit. Feels to me like closing arguments will be either today or Monday – since this is before a judge and not a jury, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I learned one thing from this puffy piece on Andy Taylor. I already knew he was a blowhard who’s made quite a good living lately off of Republican mischiefmaking. I knew he has at best a distant relationship with the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Via Pink Dome, the Quorum Report catches our old buddy Andy Taylor making with the crazy talk again. During a break in the TRMPAC civil trial proceedings this morning, attorney Andy Taylor told reporters that he would be spearheading an … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The WaPo does a feature on Tom DeLay, noting that his continued string of scandals may be having an effect back home in CD22. Though the change has received little notice, DeLay’s strength in his suburban Houston congressional district of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Daily DeLay has a suggestion for the five plaintiffs in the TRMPAC lawsuit: If the plaintiffs in the TRMPAC civil suit win, they should donate the money they win in damages to the institute Ronnie Earle is setting up … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tom DeLay may not be a participant in the lawsuit against TRMPAC and Bill Ceverha, but that doesn’t mean he’s not there in spirit. The Young Conservatives of Texas featured U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay in a mailing to Fort Bend … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The lawsuit against the Texans for a Republican Majority PAC is underway, and one of the first witnesses says they shoulda known better. Texans for a Republican Majority, formed by Republican U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, should have reported … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Raw Story follows up on their previous piece which outlined new allegations of inappropriate behavior by Tom DeLay. Will any Democrat step up and file another ethics complaint? Nancy Pelosi seems to be calling for someone to do so. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ll undoubtedly have more on this tomorrow, but for now here’s the opening story from the AP wire about the lawsuit against Bill Ceverha of the Texas Association of Business. Clean Up Texas Politics has a bunch of links from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The more digging is done into the life and times of Jack Abramoff, the more malfeasance is discovered. Tracking what happened to $175,000 contributed by two Indian tribes to a political group called CREA leads from a disgraced lobbyist to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chron gives an overview of the lawsuit against the Texas Association of Business and its treasurer Bill Ceverha by five defeated Democratic candidates for state legislature which begins tomorrow. Most of this is review material, but I do want … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Very interesting. Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick has struck a deal not to appear in Monday’s corporate electioneering trial, saying he might have shredded any communications he had with Texans for a Republican Majority two years ago. Five Democratic state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Stakeholder excerpts from a National Journal article detailing the long history between Tom DeLay and the disgraced casino lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Raw Story has more. Check it out. Continue reading →

State Rep. Joe Nixon wants to be the champion of compulsory charity. The House Elections Committee on Wednesday heard a bill by Rep. Joe Nixon, R-Houston, that is meant to overturn Texas Ethics Commission opinions that Rep. David Swinford, R-Dumas, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tom Craddick has been called to testify in the civil suit against TRMPAC Treasurer Bill Ceverha. In addition to Craddick, a subpoena also has been issued to Texas Association of Business President Bill Hammond. He once bragged that TAB had … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I previously mentioned a series of bills that are forthcoming to enact some tighter restrictions on corporate campaign contributions and related matters. One of those bills was filed yesterday. A bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Drip…drip…drip… Speaker Tom Craddick met with a small group of corporate donors to Texans for a Republican Majority at a Washington, D.C., breakfast just a month before the 2002 election and Craddick’s elevation to leader of the Texas House of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s not available for free online, but The Daily DeLay has a few excerpts. Check it out. Continue reading →

Interesting development in the Abramoff/Scanlon scandal. A Texas Indian tribe that paid $4.2 million to two Washington consultants for help reopening its casino — while unaware that the same consultants had quietly worked to shut the casino down — has … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Statesman slams State Rep. Mary Denny (R, Aubrey) for filing “one of the worst pieces of legislation in recent memory in an effort to protect themselves from criminal prosecution for election law violations.” She must have gotten some flack … Continue reading → Continue reading →

A bill has been filed to give the Texas Ethics Commission power to veto any investigation into electoral code violations by district attorneys. Rep. Mary Denny, R–Aubrey, chairwoman of the House Elections Committee, would create an office under the state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Just a little linkage related to the recent purge of disloyal Republicans on the House Ethics Committee, in particular a few editorials giving them what for: from the WaPo and NYT (via the Daily DeLay); the Chron and Baltimore Sun … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s been a bad couple of weeks for TRMPAC, as they’ve had a couple of setbacks in the civil suit against them. First, Trevor Potter, a “lifelong Republican and former commissioner and chair of the Federal Election Commission” will testify … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Win a Tom DeLay bobblehead doll. Need I say more? Continue reading →

The first forum for the CleanUpTexasPolitics panelists is now online. Jane Laping of Mothers for Clean Air will be responding. The initial questions were taken from audience members at Tuesday’s event, but you can sign in and ask a few … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I attended a cool event last night, a forum sponsored by Clean Up Texas Politics on the effect of big money in our political campaigns and what’s going on to fix it. Mayor White gave a keynote address, City Council … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Cracker Barrel becomes the third corporation indicted in the TRMPAC case to cut a deal with the Travis County DA’s office, joining Sears and Diversified Collections Services. Travis County charges against the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. restaurant chain … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Another loss in the courts for TRMPAC. Lawyers for Texans for a Republican Majority lost another attempt this morning to show that their clients, accused of breaking Texas election laws, were just doing what the Democrats had always done. After … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The US Supreme Court has apparently made it easier to get a conviction in cases involving money laundering. Justices [unanimously] upheld the convictions of two people accused of pocketing more than $1.2 million as part of a nationwide religious investment … Continue reading → Continue reading →