DeLay Chooses Legal Team

[Rose Siding]

Just a blurb from Roll Call but WAY too much fun to resist. Any subscribers out there who could get a better snip?

Facing legal challenges in Washington and Austin, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) has retained lawyers to defend him in both a Congressional ethics probe and an ongoing investigation into Texas’ 2002 legislative races.

http://www.rollcall.com/pub/50_2/news/6134-1.html

[cjbuchanan]

1. Let's keep the pressure on him

All these legal problems are hurting DeLay back home. We can help get rid of him by supporting his opponent Richard Morrison. He has a good shot of pulling off a big upset. Give him a look and see what you think.

http://www.richardmorrisonfordistrict22.com/

[Wwagsthedog]

21. Got this postcard recently

"Wanna knock out tom delay?" was on one side with a picture of boxing gloves. On the other side was the follwing:

- Join the fight!
- Only 36% of voters in the district want to elect delay.
- Over 1,000 people in the district have already volunteered for his(Morrison's) campaign.
- More than 3,000 Americans nationwide have made a financial contribution to the campaign to dump delay.
- Please help send Richard Morrison to Congress.
- etc.
- Please mail your contribution to the Richard Morrison Congessional Committee: 1100 Hwy 146, Suite A, Kemah, TX 77565

Disclaimer: Yes, I live in TX but almost 100 miles away from dist 22 and have no idea how they got my address down to the nine digit zip code.

[cjbuchanan]

23. I think they are sending these out all over the state

I have every given money to a Dem campaign or the Texas Dem party? Maybe signed a petition? If so, that's where they got your name.

I got to meet Mr. Morrison at the state convention in Houston. He is a very strong candidate. He still has room for improvement, but DeLay is not going to be able to win this one sitting in Washington.

[0007]

25. I hope they nail the bugman -

I didn't read the article. (Alittle too rich for me)

But I have a question for 'ya. And the question is about that Texas House of Representatives: Tom Craddick. If Tom Delay goes down will Craddick?

[Tight_rope]

37. Interesting: Ken Lay indicted! DeLay gets a lawyer! The connection!

[49jim]

2. but...but...but....

lawyers are EVIL!

[napi21]

3. Oh! He just hates them trial lawyers, huh?

Jut the point I made yesterday and this morning! When you're in trouble, who do you turn to first?

Unfortunately for dear old Tom, even great lawyers can't change the truth!!!!

[Bozita]

8. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

Ooops, almost forgot.

Republicans employ counsel; Democrats hire TRIAL LAWYERS.

[Judi Lynn]

4. I did find an article which might get some of us more up to speed

on Delay's current situation:

Is it any surprise that the publication of Clinton's memoir My Life has revived the vitriolic bleating from those on the right who just can't seem to stop salivating over blue dresses and beret-wearing interns?

But if these self-appointed morality police were truly committed to upholding ethics and promoting values in government, they would begin challenging the House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who is hands down one of the most corrupt politicians in the United States.

"The Hammer” -- DeLay got that nickname because he runs the U.S. House of Representatives with an iron fist -- has allegedly bribed his GOP colleagues to win their votes for legislation that he desperately wanted to pass in the House. He's engaged in quid pro quos with corporations seeking legislative favors, and violated campaign finance laws in Texas during the 2002 state house election contests. Now, after a seven-year truce in the U.S. House that discouraged members from filing ethics charges against one another, Rep. Chris Bell has gone to the ethics committee and filed a 187-page bombshell charging that DeLay engaged in extortion, money-laundering and other abuses of power.

Just this week, the ethics committee said that Bell had met the criteria for filing a complaint, and it will now spend at least the next forty-five days reviewing the charges that DeLay violated the house's ethics rules. Bell called the committee's decision "an important first step in the long journey to restore integrity and ethics to the people's House and to hold the House majority leader accountable for his actions." He received a riproaring (standing) ovation from the Democratic Caucus this week, winning a tacit endorsement from colleagues in his ongoing battle to hold DeLay accountable.
(snip/...)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/25/opinion/main626150.shtml

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really hope he's got some 'splainin' to do.

[hatrack]

20. "At least the next 45 days reviewing the charges" . . . hmm . . .

With a 6/25 dateline, that should put the DeLay decision just before or perhaps during the GOP convention - now that's what I call perfect timing!

[Solly Mack]

5. Oh my Gawds! NOT a "trial lawyer?!?!" Oh, the humanity

Oh, the NERVE...

[Rose Siding]

6. The Hammered lawyered up!

The latest member of Repubs In Support Of Trial Lawyers :D

[Solly Mack]

9. hehehehe

That's an ever growing club to be sure

[Grins]

7. Who's the law firm?

Snip doesn't say, and I'm not a subscriber.

Could it be Baker Botts?

[Bozita]

10. Baker Botts is a "Get out of jail free" card with this administration

[DNCnotDLC]

13. "Baker" ... as in ...

James Baker, former Secretary of State, Treasury, Chief of Staff, Campaign Manager ... and close associate of the Saudis.

[Grins]

26. Yep!

That's the guy. Yes, Yes, Yep, Got it, and you really got it.

Not to mention that it is the law firm the Saudi Kingdom "Princes" hired to defend them against the 9/11 lawsuits.

[rawstory]

11. Any non-login link?

please!

[Gothmog]

12. Everyone hates lawyers until they need one

This is very funny. Delay needs a lawyer just like Bush and Cheney.

[Tempest]

14. Guess who are The Bug's biggest contributors

Trial lawyers.

Opensecrets.org has the breakdown.

[TryingToWarnYou]

15. Im sure those arent trial lawyers, right?

[young_at_heart]

16. If he ends up getting away with his dirty tricks, I will lose faith

This man is a major blight.......one wonders why his constituents like him?

[Bridget Burke]

22. Not all his constituents like him....

Susan DuQuesnay lives in his district; sometimes she writes as Juanita, proprietress of The World's Most Dangerous Beauty Shop, Inc. Her most recent column (from early June) consists of various answers to "How Many Tom DeLay and Friends Does It Take to Screw In a Light Bulb?" According to the e-mails at the end of the page, she's not the only one who does not care for DeLay.

www.brazosriver.com/howmany.htm

And be very sure to click on And don't forget to click here!

[Dr Fate]

17. Just answer the questions & "Let the chips fall where they may"

Why do you need "trial lawyers" Tom? I thought you were an "honest Christian"...

Why cant you just answer the questions & "Let the chips fall where they may???"

[Bluebear]

18. What? Hiring trial lawyers?!?!

[seemslikeadream]

19. a staff aide to House Majority Whip Tom DeLay

But there are federal statutes that may also have been violated in conjunction with the alleged extortion. For example, it’s a crime to conspire to oppress, threaten or intimidate any person in the free exercise of any right or privilege secured to him by law (18, 13, 241). And the people on the canvassing board were acting as legally authorized election officials and as such, were doing a federally protected activity (18, 13, 245) when they were threatened with violence and interfered with by rioters whose intent was to stop the counting of the 10,750 disputed ballots that had previously not been counted.

According to the IRS published documents, the Bush campaign also paid individual rioters: Matt Schlapp, a Bush staffer from the Austin office received $4,276.09; Thomas Pyle, a staff aide to House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, $456; Michael Murphy, a DeLay fund-raiser, $935; Garry Malphrus, House majority chief counsel to the House Judiciary subcommittee on criminal justice, $330; Charles Royal, a legislative aide to Rep. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. $391.80; and Kevin Smith, a former GOP House staffer, $373.23. Moore and Slater tell us that Karl Rove and James A. Baker III put it all together. According to the Miami Herald, July 14, 2002: Three of the rioters went on to jobs in the Bush White House: they include Schlapp, who became a special assistant to the president; Malphrus, who became deputy director of the president’s Domestic Policy Council; and Joel Kaplan who became another special assistant to the president.

Significantly, it is also a federal crime to solicit others to use or threaten to use physical force against property or against a person (18,19, 373). So if Karl Rove and James Baker “put it together” they are suspects and ought to be subject to an investigation. Likewise, it’s a criminal offense to directly or indirectly promise employment, compensation or other benefit for any political activity or for the support of or opposition to any candidate (18, 29, 600).

And because the rioters were flown in planes across state lines allegedly to violate the laws of Florida to commit extortion, the federal statute provides up to a twenty-year sentence. (18, 95,1952). And lastly, the federal statute provides that anyone who travels across state lines and uses a telephone or other communications device to incite a riot, or to organize, promote, encourage or participate in a riot, or to commit any act of violence in furtherance of a riot, shall be fined or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. The statutes (18,102, 2101 and 2102) define a ‘riot’ as a public disturbance involving one of three or more persons, making a threat or threats of violence with the ability of immediate execution of such threats.
http://www.yuricareport.com/Law%20&%20Legal/RICO_Prosecution.htm

[Dulcinea]

24. Can't we send DeLay back to killing bugs for a living?

What a turd.

[Demeter]

27. Finally all the Chickens Come Home to Roost

Just a little too late for several hundreds of millions of victims worldwide and at home....

[NewJerseyDem]

28. I'm a subscriber... Here's some more of the story

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/50_2/news/6134-1.html

Facing legal challenges in Washington and Austin, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) has retained lawyers to defend him in both a Congressional ethics probe and an ongoing investigation into Texas’ 2002 legislative races.

DeLay has rehired former Rep. Ed Bethune (R-Ark.), currently a lawyer with the firm Bracewell & Patterson, to represent him against an ethics complaint filed by Rep. Chris Bell (D-Texas), DeLay aides said.

Bethune was DeLay’s lawyer in 2000 after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a civil-racketeering lawsuit against the Texas Republican, and he also defended former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) during the latter part of his ethics battles with House Democrats.

Meanwhile, in Austin, sources close to the Texas Republican said DeLay has hired two criminal-defense attorneys, Bill White and Steve Brittain, to represent him in an investigation by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who is probing the activities of a DeLay-founded PAC during the Texas 2002 legislative races.

[Bozita]

29. for someone who despises trial lawyers, he's sure hired a lot of them

[Rose Siding]

35. Thanks. This blog links it, too, with more snippage-

http://www.takingontomdelay.com/archives/000044.html#mo...

[ArnoldLayne]

30. We need

to get him out of office and convicted.

[Zen]

31. Man I hope that smug little coward burns in hell

n/m

[SoCalDem]

32. From the law firm of Flip , Flop & Associates, I presume??

:)

[keithyboy]

33. Hope he has to spend lots of money, and hope it's all dried up from his

previous graft sources. If they thinks he is going down, they don't have to pay and it may be cheaper for them to help fund his prosecution.

[cosmicone]

34. Exterminate this cheneying bug-killer n/t

[Tight_rope]

36. Oh! Happy Day!

I don't know which I'm more happy about, the indictment of Kenneth Lay or "The Hammer" having to get lawyers. Both have equally made me happy! :bounce:
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Tight_rope]

38. If you really want to know more about the evils of Tom DeLay read this!

Part I: Tom DeLay's Axis of Influence
By Stephen Pizzo, AlterNet. Posted May 10, 2002.

"It is well known that Enron lavished money and attention on political figures all over the nation's Capitol. But for an insight into how carefully the company cultivated members of Congress, look no further than its efforts to please Representative Tom DeLay." (The New York Times, Jan 16, 2002)


By the time Enron collapsed, its tentacles had penetrated deep into our federal government. No investigation into just how deep would be complete without a comprehensive examination of House Majority Whip, Tom DeLay.

In researching this story, it quickly became apparent that Tom DeLay's deep and personal involvement with Enron was not an exception but part of a pattern of controversial relationships that reach back to DeLay's earliest days in Congress.

All these relationships were consistent with a far-right, free-market, anti-regulatory philosophy that DeLay has raised to nearly religious status and upon which he has created a lucrative and ruthless power base.

Among other discoveries, we found a startling contrast between the wholesome, born-again, pro-family image DeLay portrays to voters back home in Sugarland, Texas, and the controversial causes and companies he backs in Washington.

A closer examination of Tom DeLay seems particularly important now, not so much because of his Enron entanglements, but because of his pending political promotion. With the announced retirement of House Majority Leader, Dick Army, (R-Tex) Tom DeLay is widely expected to ascend to that important post, making him the second most powerful person in the House of Representatives.

more---->http://www.alternet.org/story/13104

[Canuckistanian]

39. The Wet-Dream Team?

Hmmm, who is it that neeeds a team of lawyers to fight their battles?

Maybe someone who know they're in deep Cheney?

[struggle4progress]

40. kick for better goverrnment without delay

:kick: