Is one of the companies that was indicted along with DeLay cronies Colyandron, Ellis, and Robold about to turn state’s evidence on The Hammer? Well, via the Stakeholder, one of them is at least talking to Ronnie Earle.
A company that made a $50,000 contribution to a Republican political action committee has agreed to cooperate with a state investigation into possible illegal campaign contributions in exchange for the dismissal of charges against it, according to a motion approved by a judge Thursday.
Diversified Collections Services, Inc. was one of eight corporations accused of giving a total of $190,000 to Texans for a Republican Majority during the 2002 legislative campaign. The use of corporate money for political purposes is illegal in Texas.
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said in the motion to dismiss that the company agreed to cooperate with the state “in its prosecution of any other indicted person for any offense related to the corporate contribution.”
Where it leads from there is anyone’s guess. I can’t say I’m surprised that someone took a deal, though. I just wonder if any other deals are currently on the table, and if so if they’ll be as sweet as that one was.
Here’s a little more from the Chron.
The company also agreed to support a “nonpartisan, balanced and publicly informative program or series of educational programs related to the role of corporations in American democracy.”
Court filings signed by District Attorney Ronnie Earle said he agreed to drop the prosecution because the company convinced him it donated the money based on “false and misleading information provided by the fund-raiser that solicited the contribution.” It also said an officer who authorized the donation is no longer with the company.
That sounds less ominous from DeLay’s perspective, but there is still that agreement to testify. We’ll see what happens.
One of the oldest prosecutorial tactics in the book is to separate one member of a gang to turn state’s evidence against the others. Looks like Ronnie Earle has done exactly that. I’d say the two Toms — DeLay and Craddick — will have a slightly less joyous holiday this season.