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Wednesday, June 01, 2005
TX-22: Fire Tom DeLay
Posted by Bob BrighamFrom MoveOn PAC:
Fire Tom DeLayHouse Republican Majority Leader Rep. Tom DeLay has a pattern of repeated legal and ethical scandals. Yet he remains in one of the most important positions in our government—deciding what legislation Congress considers. Sign our petition to urge Congress to fire Tom DeLay as Majority Leader. Our goal is to top 500,000 petition signers by the end of the month and deliver these petitions to Republican members of Congress and local Republican Parties during the first week in June.
His offenses?
- Accepted trips from corporations and later helped kill legislation they opposed
- Accepted trips from the lobbyist for a foreign government in violation of House rules
- Paid family members more than $500,000 out of campaign contributions
- Helped sweatshops in the Mariana Islands at the behest of a lobbyist.
- Promised a role in drafting legislation to a corporate donor
- Tried to coerce a Congressman for a vote on Medicare
- Allegedly used corporate money given to his PAC to finance Texas campaigns in violation of state law
- Used Homeland Security resources in a dispute with Democrats in Texas
- Diverted funds from a children's charity for lavish celebrations at the Republican convention
- Threatened retaliation against interest groups that don't support Republicans
- Stacked the House Ethics Committee with representatives who have contributed to his legal defense fund
- Crippled the effectiveness of the House Ethics Committee by purging members who had rebuked him
- Pushed for a rules change for the House Ethics process that paralyzed the panel
- Sought a rule change that would have no longer "required leaders to step aside temporarily if indicted"
Totally corrupted and abusing power to stay in power, Tom DeLay is a disgrace to Congress.
Posted at 01:14 PM in Republicans, Scandals, Texas, Texas | Technorati