DNC: DeLay Needs to Disclose Donors to Hidden Slush Fund

For Immediate Release
October 6, 2005

Contact: Karen Finney - 202-863-8148

DeLay Needs to Disclose Donors to Hidden Slush Fund

Washington, DC - Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay raised hundreds
of thousands of dollars from anonymous big-money donors in 2000 and then
distributed the excess cash to his political allies, including his
replacement Roy Blunt, Blunt's son's campaign for Missouri Secretary of
State and the consulting firm that employed DeLay's wife, Christine.
DeLay deliberately raised more than he needed from anonymous donors -
even after paying for lavish parties for political allies and
conservative leaders at the 2000 Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia. Donors to this secret fund may have included
scandal-plagued super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and one of his clients, a
sweat shop in the Northern Mariana Islands. http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1005/266152.html].


Also, Justice Department officials acknowledged they "had asked the
British police to interview former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
about a meeting with Mr. DeLay during a 2000 trip to Britian arranged by
Mr. Abramoff. It was the first public acknowledgment that Mr. DeLay's
actions were also under investigation." http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/06/politics/06delay.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1128607709-PLhgFXI/e9i848yEupxmgQ]



Today on Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats are calling for an end to the
revolving door's swing to K Street, to keep the lobbyists off the floors
of Congress, and to hold lobbyists accountable. Democrats are working to
end the culture of corruption.


Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Americans have
a right to know who has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to
the House Majority Leader's slush fund and that DeLay should immediately
disclose his list of donors.


"Tom DeLay needs to stop stonewalling and release the names of his
big-money donors to his hidden account, which was used as a slush fund
to help Leader Blunt, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt and Christine DeLay,"
said Dean. "Tom DeLay and Roy Blunt need to come clean about their shady
network of big-money donors and hidden accounts. When Republicans are
collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars and funnelling it to
campaigns across the country, the public has a right to know. The
American people deserve more than an ever-growing culture of corruption
from Republicans in Washington, D.C. Democrats stand committed to
reform, and making sure that the interests of the American people are
put first. It's time to clean up Washington."

###

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee,
www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any
candidate or candidate's committee.

Did you notice?

Meanwhile here at DU, there is a wealth of threads demanding they speak out. How ironic.

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