After Tom DeLay had to step down as House Majority Leader because of his indictment in Texas, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt (R -- what else?) took his place.
The AP reports that, examining public fundraising records finds the following:
- After raising "too much money" for entertainment expenses for the June 2000 Republican National Convention, DeLay transferred $50,000 of that on March 31st 2000 (way before the convention) to Roy Blunt's "Rely on Your Beliefs Fund" (this, while both funds were run by the same guy -- Jim Ellis -- who was indicted with DeLay in Texas). Eight days later, Blunt's fund gave $10K to DeLay's personal chairty for children, and started payments which totaled $40K to a political consulting firm run by DeLay's former chief of staff, and which employs DeLay's wife (note to Rove: see how I'm not naming names?). If you're keeping score at home: $10K+$40K=$50K -- the amount of DeLay's transfer. Blunt says he had no idea DeLay's wife worked for that consulting firm, and that it was just a coincidence.
- Later, on May 24 2000 (still way before the convention), DeLay's convention fundraising group transferred $100k to Blunt's group. Then, over the next three weeks, Blunt's group donated this $100K to the Missouri Republican Party. The next month, Missouri GOP began spending lots of $$ to aid Blunt's son's candidacy for Missouri Secretary of State. Blunt says Missouri's GOP's support of his son after his donation is a coincidence.
Natch, this scenario raises bells to anyone who remembers back when the House ethics committee found that DeLay offered (allegedly) $100K to help former Congressman Nick Smith's son Brad, who was running for Congress at the time, in exchange for Smith's vote on the Medicare prescription drug bill. The House Ethics Committee gave DeLay a public admonishment. Smith originally claimed that DeLay mentioned $100,000 in contributions, but later stated that no specific figure was mentioned. (Roll Call, 11/22/04)
This raises the question: now that Blunt -- who is just as dirty as DeLay with filthy corrupt fundraising scandal -- is the House Majority Leader, are the Republicans capable of finding anyone in the House who isn't mired in scandal and corruption?
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