2008 Woodie Awards
Republicans Lower Ethics Standards
Tom Delay Deserves Dismissal after Accumulating Record of Deceit and Corruption
Karl de Vries
Issue date: 12/2/04 Section: Opinion
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Tom Delay has served the citizens of Texas for 18 years and he has just been re-elected to serve his 10th term. He is known in the House of Representatives as "The Hammer," a nickname given to him because of the vindictive politics he employs to keep the House in line.
As leader of the House he has set the bar for the most ethics violations of any other member of Congress. This is a congressman that has abused his power not once, but several times and refuses to admit any wrongdoing.
On Nov. 17, the Republican members of Congress lowered the standards for the members of their leadership. The rule was adopted in 1993 by the Republican caucus to highlight ethical lapses of the Democratic Party. Current members have decided to scrap the rule because of the threat that their leader, Tom "The Hammer" Delay might be indicted because of the illegal campaign fund funneling of which he had a central role.
Texas law bars corporate campaign contributions in state campaigning. Delay decided he just didn't like the way that worked; he wanted to be able to ask all his corporate buddies to help him win the Texas Legislature so that they could redraw the congressional districts - thus giving the Republicans five more seats in the House.
Delay actively sought money for his political action committee TRMPAC (Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee), that fought for a Republican majority in the state legislature. Delay asked an Enron executive to donate $250,000 in corporate and personal funds of the executives, reportedly. TRMPAC would then take the funds and donate them to Republicans running for the state legislature, a direct violation of Texas campaign finance laws.
Congressman Chris Bell brought a complaint to the House Committee on Ethics in which he argued that Delay, in violation of Texas campaign finance laws, used the majority in the state legislature to redraw congressional districts leading to the election of an additional five Republicans from Texas.
As leader of the House he has set the bar for the most ethics violations of any other member of Congress. This is a congressman that has abused his power not once, but several times and refuses to admit any wrongdoing.
On Nov. 17, the Republican members of Congress lowered the standards for the members of their leadership. The rule was adopted in 1993 by the Republican caucus to highlight ethical lapses of the Democratic Party. Current members have decided to scrap the rule because of the threat that their leader, Tom "The Hammer" Delay might be indicted because of the illegal campaign fund funneling of which he had a central role.
Texas law bars corporate campaign contributions in state campaigning. Delay decided he just didn't like the way that worked; he wanted to be able to ask all his corporate buddies to help him win the Texas Legislature so that they could redraw the congressional districts - thus giving the Republicans five more seats in the House.
Delay actively sought money for his political action committee TRMPAC (Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee), that fought for a Republican majority in the state legislature. Delay asked an Enron executive to donate $250,000 in corporate and personal funds of the executives, reportedly. TRMPAC would then take the funds and donate them to Republicans running for the state legislature, a direct violation of Texas campaign finance laws.
Congressman Chris Bell brought a complaint to the House Committee on Ethics in which he argued that Delay, in violation of Texas campaign finance laws, used the majority in the state legislature to redraw congressional districts leading to the election of an additional five Republicans from Texas.