[Mb-civic] Prosecutor Broadens DeLay Inquiry - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Prosecutor Broadens DeLay Inquiry
Data on GOP Donation to U.S. Family Network Demanded

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 6, 2006; A05

The Texas prosecutor who secured an indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay 
(R-Tex.) on money-laundering charges broadened the scope of his inquiry 
into election spending yesterday, demanding documents related to funds 
that passed through a nonprofit organization, the U.S. Family Network.

The group, which was founded in 1996 by DeLay's then-chief of staff, 
Edwin A. Buckham, received $500,000 in 1999 from the National Republican 
Congressional Committee and used some of the money to finance radio ads 
attacking Democrats. The Federal Election Commission fined the party in 
2004 for its role in the funding.

The prosecutor, Ronnie Earle, sent subpoenas yesterday to Buckham; the 
group's former president, Christopher Geeslin; the NRCC; and the 
treasurer of DeLay's leadership political action committee, Americans 
for a Republican Majority.

The subpoenas asked for all documents related to the $500,000 
contribution, including any correspondence involving DeLay or Jack 
Abramoff, the lobbyist who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe public 
officials and other crimes this week. The Washington Post reported 
Saturday that the largest donors to the U.S. Family Network were all 
associated with Abramoff. They contributed hundreds of thousands of 
dollars to the group before it folded in 2001.

Earle, an elected district attorney in Travis County, Tex., did not 
reveal in the subpoenas why he believes he has jurisdiction over the 
campaign spending. Carl Forti, a spokesman for the NRCC, told the 
Associated Press, "I'm going to call Roswell and warn them that Ronnie 
Earle is on the witch hunt for the Martians they have there," referring 
to the New Mexico city famous for an alleged UFO landing.

DeLay is awaiting trial in Texas for allegedly conspiring to launder 
corporate donations sent to a group he organized, Texans for a 
Republican Majority, for use in the 2002 state legislative elections. He 
has denied any wrongdoing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/05/AR2006010502331.html?nav=hcmodule
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