DeLay's "Dirty Money"

According to the Campaign for America's Future website, "241 sitting members of Congress" have taken money from Tom DeLay's political action committee. It should be noted that all recipients are Republicans. 

Biggest Recipient: Mike Ferguson Representative Mike Ferguson (R-New Jersey) was "the biggest DeLay money recipient in Congress, who clocked in at a cool $42,403." 

DeLay Owns the Republicans "Only five Republicans in the House haven't accepted his dirty money, and one of those was a Democrat until recently. The five are:


 * Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb., Rep. Todd Platts, R-Penn., and Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La." --Atrios, October 19, 2005.

Political Money Carousel
Long-time political allies DeLay and Roy Blunt, "the deputy who succeeded him as House majority leader, orchestrated a political money carousel in 2000 that diverted donations secretly collected for presidential convention parties to some of their own pet causes.

"When it all ended, DeLay's private charity, along with the consulting firm that employed DeLay's wife and the Missouri campaign of Blunt's son, Matt, who now is the state's governor, all ended up with a piece of the pie, according to campaign documents reviewed by The Associated Press." 

"Jack Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist recently charged in an ongoing federal corruption and fraud investigation, and Jim Ellis, the DeLay fundraiser indicted [September 28, 2005,] with his boss last week in Texas, also appeared in the picture." 

"DeLay has received perks from Abramoff for years, including an 'education and golfing' trip to Korea, funded by a registered foreign agent, which is a violation of House rules. ("The money was funneled through a Washington tax-exempt group and the trip arranged" by Abramoff.)"

Also involved in the transactions is the Alexander Strategy Group, the "political consulting firm formed by DeLay's former chief of staff, Ed Buckham." 

"None of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations DeLay collected for the 2000 convention were ever disclosed to federal regulators because the type of group DeLay used wasn't governed by federal law at the time." 

DeLay's Congressional Benefactors
The June 16, 2005, issue of The Hill provided a current listing of Congressional benefactors who pitched in to help defray DeLay's $125,003 in legal costs. The majority contributed $5,000, with a couple at $2,500 and $1,000. However, the "standouts" at $10,000 each were Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Missouri) and Rep. Henry Bonilla (Texas). 

DeLay's PACs

 * Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC)
 * Texans for a Republican Majority PAC (TRMPAC)

DeLay's "Take"
The source of DeLay's funding during the 2001-2002 campaign cycle appears to have been only from PACs and "Other Committees" and none appears to have come through individuals.

Additionally, an oddity occurs in that, when comparing DeLay's funding to that of others also receiving funding from PACs and "Other Committees", he ranks near the bottom 20% of the list. This ranking is not the same thing as the amount of dollars received, which is significantly less than those near the top of the list.

Of the "Top 50 House Campaigns by Contributions", DeLay ranks 40 out of 50 and of the "Top 50 House Incumbent Campaigns by Contributions from PACs and Other Committees", his ranking is nearly the same, as he was ranked at 39 out of 50.

For such a veracious fund-raiser, it would seem that his "income" was less important than his "out-go".


 * 2001-2002, Top 50 House Campaigns by Receipts: Tom DeLay is not on the list.
 * 2001-2002, Top 50 House Campaigns by Contributions from PACS and Other Committees: Tom DeLay ranked #40 out of 50.
 * Top 50 House Campaigns by Contributions from Individuals: Tom DeLay is not on the list.
 * Top 50 House Incumbent Campaigns by Receipts: Tom DeLay is not on the list.
 * Top 50 House Incumbent Campaigns by Contributions from PACs and Other Committees: Tom DeLay is ranked #39 out of 50.

SourceWatch Resources

 * Complaints, Investigation & Indictments
 * DeLay's Other "Transgressions
 * Related SourceWatch Resources

General Info

 * DeLay's House of Scandal website provides info on Congressmen who have taken DeLay's "Dirty Money".
 * States with Members that took DeLay's Dirty Money, DCCC.org.
 * "Tom DeLay's Money. Contributions from ARMPAC to 109th Members of Congress, 1994-2006," Campaign for America's Future.
 * "Americans for a Republican Majority PAC. Contributions to Federal Candidates 2006 Cycle," Open Secrets.org.

2003

 * Nicholas Thompson, "The exterminator. Tom DeLay -- a former pest killer who has turned his ire on Democrats -- has helped build a huge Republican money juggernaut. But did his engineering of a Texas GOP landslide break the law?" Salon, September 3, 2003.

2004

 * Lou Dubose, "Tom DeLay's funny-money trail. The GOP strongman's political machine has stopped at nothing to extend its power. Now it's facing indictments for violating Texas campaign finance laws," Salon, March 12, 2004.
 * Thomas Edsall, "Probe to Include GOP Donations. PR Firm Hired by Tribes Gave $500,000 to Governors Group," Washington Post, May 18, 2004.
 * "Jeb Bradley Received Tainted Funds from DeLay. Justin Nadeau Calls on Jeb Bradley to Give Back $10,000 Tied to Campaign Finance Investigation into House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s Dirty Dealings," New Hampshire Democratic Party Blog, September 22, 2004.
 * Gary Bass, "Republican says investigation of DeLay associates should have no bearing on him," The Lufkin Daily News, September 23, 2004.

2005

 * Mike Allen and R. Jeffrey Smith, "S. Korean Group Sponsored DeLay Trip. Visits May Have Broken House Rules," Washington Post, March 10, 2005.
 * "DeLay's Dirty Dozen," Think Progress (AlterNet), March 16, 2005.
 * Joe Garner, "MoveOn targets Beauprez, Musgrave," Rocky Mountain News, June 2, 2005.
 * "DeLay Still Up To Dirty Tricks," Think Progress, July 27, 2005.
 * "Barbara Cubin: Riding along Tom DeLay’s trail of dirty money from Texas to her campaigns," Wyoming Democratic Party, September 2005.
 * Andrea Stone, "Republicans may return DeLay's PAC funds," USA Today, September 29, 2005.
 * "Bradley to return money from DeLay's PAC," Associated Press (Boston Globe), September 29, 2005.
 * "The Hammer Gets Nailed; Return the Dirty Money!" Nebraska Democratic Party, September 29, 2005.
 * "Will New Mexico Republicans Join Fellow Republican Congressman in Returning DeLay Money?" and "Will Heather Continue to DeLay Return of Money?" New Mexico Democratic Party, September 29, 2005.
 * "Rep. Petri, Does Tom DeLay’s Behavior Still Resemble a Traffic Violation?" 6th Congressional District Democrats, September 29, 2005.
 * "Heather Wilson: Rubber Stamp for Tom DeLay," New Mexico Democratic Party, September 30, 2005.
 * Health at the NDP, "DeLay Money in Nebraska," MyDD, September 30, 2005.
 * Patrick Murphy for Congress, "Taking Back PA-08 from a Tom DeLay Wannabe," MyDD, September 30, 2005.
 * Christy Hoppe, "Grand jury foreman cites "stacks" of evidence against DeLay," Dallas Morning News (Seattle Times), October 1, 2005.
 * "DeLay and Michigan, Part 2," Michigan Liberal, October 2, 2005.
 * "Bryant took money from Delay's ARMPAC," hamdems.org, October 2, 2005.
 * ChrisDJackson, "Tennessee Republican US Senate Candidate Tied To Delay And Others," MyDD, October 2, 2005.
 * "DeLay, House successor swapped donations. AP campaign document review shows transactions took circuitous routes," Associated Press (MSNBC), October 5, 2005.
 * "Ferguson Must Return Dirty DeLay Money," Devine Media, Inc. (NJ), October 5, 2005. Also see DumpMike.com website.
 * "Hammering Boozman," Arkansas Times, October 5, 2005.
 * Matt Coker, Clockwork Orange: "Dirty Money" OC Weekly, October 5, 2005.
 * Lauren W. Whittington and Kate Ackley, "DeLay at Issue On Homefront," Roll Call (CREW), October 6, 2005.
 * Susan Jones, "Dems Target DeLay's 'Dirty Money'," Cybercast News Service (GOPUSA), October 6, 2005.
 * "Tom DeLay's Money-Go-Round," Wonkette, October 6, 2005.
 * David Sirota, "Absolutely No Reason For Him to Return the Money," Sirotablog, October 6, 2005.
 * Bob Brigham, "MT-AL: Dennis Rehberg Keeping Tainted Money," Swing State Project, October 6, 2005.
 * AnneinPhilly, "Fitzpatrick fails to give-back Delay Cash," MyDD, October 18, 2005. re Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
 * "Even the National News Media Knows: Heather Wilson is Tom DeLay's Crony," New Mexico Democratic Party, October 19, 2005.
 * Alex Hammel, "Challengers question Petri, GOP in debate. Three face off Nov. 2 for area seat in U.S. House," Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers (archived Google), October 19, 2005.