Former Sen. Phil Gramm-R to Testify in Former Governor's Corruption Trial

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CHICAGO (AP) -- Former Sen. Phil Gramm will be allowed to testify about money the Texas Republican's 1996 presidential campaign paid to former Gov. George Ryan's daughters, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer turned down a last-minute plea from Ryan's lawyers to prevent Gramm from taking the witness stand Thursday at the former governor's corruption trial.

Ryan endorsed Gramm in March 1995, and prosecutors have alleged some $32,000 in consulting fees were then funneled to two Ryan staff members and the governor's daughters. The fees were allegedly laundered through a Republican management consulting company. The senator dropped his presidential bid in early 1996.

"It is a big deal if you stand up and endorse somebody and don't tell anybody that you're getting paid for it," said Prosecutor Patrick M. Collins.

This is another investigation out of Patrick Fitzgerald's office by the way. The first indictment from this investigation came in 1998.

It will be worth a 40 mile ride to Chicago for me to see it.

Don

Is it localized to the Republican Party? You know it can't be.

Get the most corrupt, evil, hateful, vile, evil (yes, I listed it twice) perverse, self-serving bastard you can imagine to testify about government corruption.

Great fuckin' idea. You never know, he might accidentally tell the truth for the first time in his life.

Note: Personal vendetta. Hated enemy of the family, so to speak.

Directors.

Enron. How interesting.

he wouldn't be running for re-election only a few months before the Enron scandal broke. The mainstream media failed to investigate Gramm's senate voting record as it related to easing restrictions on corporate pirates like Enron.

When last sighted, Phil was head of a Swiss bank.

The timing of his withdrawl is too "coincidental" don't you think?

Can you say "insider trading"?