"Team DeLay"

"Team DeLay" is the name assumed by some former staffers of House Majority Leader Thomas D. DeLay. 

"DeLay took the K Street Project one step further. He didn't just get lobbying firms to hire Republicans; he got them to hire his former staff. Through these staffers, DeLay created a network of lobbyists, political consultants, and conservative activists who did his bidding. The ex-staffers on K Street didn't act like conventional lobbyists, who represent the interests of their clients. When DeLay staffers left his office for K Street, they continued to represent his interests as well as those of their clients." 

"Since 1984, DeLay has employed about 300 people in his congressional and leadership offices and about 75 more on his campaigns and at his political and charitable organizations, including Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee and the DeLay Foundation for Kids. Working for DeLay was a plum assignment for ambitious conservatives, but many left after three or four years, with DeLay's blessing, to become lobbyists and political operatives. ... Indeed, lobbying firms competed intensely for top DeLay staffers." 

"[M]ost DeLay alumni trumpet their association with the majority leader. The Alexander Strategy Group's website sports a quotation from 'Ed Buckham, partner, former chief of staff, Majority Leader Tom DeLay.' The former staffers call themselves "Team DeLay," and, after DeLay's legislative director, Drew Maloney, quit to join the Federalist Group LLC in 2002, he convened a meeting of ex-staffers every six weeks. One attendee, former Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Rudy, who is now with the Alexander Strategy Group, told National Journal, 'There is a lot of discussion about how we can help Republican candidates and expand the majority.' As for DeLay, Rudy added, 'As long as he wants me, I'll be there for him.' ...

"DeLay's former staffers have also migrated to conservative Republican organizations. These include several high-powered communications firms. Former Press Secretary Michael Scanlon heads Capital Campaign Strategies, which is known as the partner of former lobbyist and DeLay crony Jack Abramoff in bilking American Indian tribes. Former DeLay Director of Communications Jonathan Baron's Red Sea LLC handles polling and media relations for ARMPAC, Republican candidates, and the Club for Growth. DeLay alumni also occupy key positions in the Christian Coalition, the International Republican Institute, the National Right to Life Committee, the Home School Legal Defense Association, the Traditional Values Coalition, and Concerned Women for America.

"DeLay has alumni throughout the Bush administration, including the White House and the Commerce, Justice, and State Departments, too. In January 2004, after reaching an antitrust agreement with Microsoft on its browser, Internet Explorer, the Justice Department appointed Patricia Brink, who had served for ten years as DeLay's press secretary, to oversee Microsoft's compliance. ...


 * Note: "Tammany Fall by John B. Judis (June 20) incorrectly conflated Patricia Brink, a Justice Department lawyer, with Patricia Brink, Representative Tom DeLay's former press secretary. We regret the error." --The New Republic, June 16, 2005 (June 27, 2005 issue date).

"In the House, DeLay pushed [Dennis] Hastert, who had been his deputy whip, into becoming speaker in 1998 and nominated Missouri Representative Roy Blunt to succeed him as whip when he became majority leader in 2000. Many of their key staff are DeLay alumni, including Hastert's director of operations and Blunt's deputy chief of staff and director of floor operations. DeLay also has staffers in high positions in at least eight other House offices, including that of Republican John Boehner, who, along with Blunt, is often mentioned as a possible successor to DeLay.

"These connections - and lobbying ties in particular - have allowed DeLay to dominate the relationship between K Street and the Republican Party. When pharmaceutical companies wanted a prescription-drug bill in 2003 that would not force them to bargain with the government over prices or to compete with imported drugs, they worked through a broad coalition organized by Hirschmann. The pharmaceutical companies also hired five other former DeLay staffers to lobby, including three from Buckham's Alexander Strategy Group. When energy firms wanted to pass a provision that would retroactively limit liability for manufacturers of MTBE, a toxic gasoline additive, they hired Maloney. And, when tobacco companies wanted to keep the Food and Drug Administration from regulating their industry, they looked to former DeLay staffer Karl Gallant at the Alexander Strategy Group." 

Other Former DeLay Staffers

 * Jim Ellis
 * Brian Darling
 * Scott Hatch
 * Susan B. Hirschmann
 * Warren M. Robold
 * Tim Rupli

Related Former Representatives

 * Duncan Hunter
 * Bill Paxon
 * J.C. Watts

2003

 * "Star Rainmakers: The Hill's list of top lobbyists," The Hill, March 26, 2003.

2005

 * Faith Bremner, "Pipeline lobbying controversial. Schweitzer questions results from national lobbyist hired by Dry Prairie water system backers," Great Falls Tribune, May 16, 2005. Article is a virtual who's who of DeLay staffers.
 * "Add Another $5,500 From Delay's Contribution Network," DumpMike.com, May 25, 2005. "Team DeLay" contributions to Mike Ferguson's campaign fund.
 * John J. Judis, "Meet Team DeLay. Tammany Fall," The New Republic (Theocracy Watch), June 20, 2005.
 * Josh Eidelson, "Tom, Jack and Friends," TPM Cafe, August 10, 2005.
 * Joshua Micah Marshall, Talking Points Memo, December 7, 2005.

2006

 * Debra J. Saunders, "Don't DeLay, clean House," San Francisco Chronicle, January 22, 2006.