Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay
24th United States House of Representatives Majority Leader
In office January 3, 2003 – September 28, 2005
Preceded by	Dick Armey
Succeeded by	Roy Blunt (Interim)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 22nd District
In office January 3, 1985 – June 9, 2006
Preceded by	Ron Paul
Succeeded by	Shelley Sekula-Gibbs
Born	April 8, 1947 (1947-04-08) (age 61) Laredo, Texas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Christine Furrh DeLay
Alma mater	University of Houston
Religion	Baptist

Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas. Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door (private Caucus. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Richard Keith "Dick" Armey (born July 7, 1940 in) is a former U Roy D Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is a Republican Politician from Missouri, representing ( map The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Texas District 22 of the United States House of Representatives is the Congressional district that covers a south-central portion of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (born June 22, 1952 in Floresville Texas) is a Physician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Laredo ( "luh-RAID-o" in English in Spanish is the County seat of Webb County, Texas, United States Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval The University of Houston (often referred to as " U of H," " UH," or " Houston " is a public doctoral/research Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Sugar Land is a city located in Fort Bend County along the Gulf Coast region in the U Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. He was House Majority Leader 2003–2005 and is a prominent member of the Republican Party. Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door (private Caucus.

DeLay was first elected to the House in 1984. He became known as "The Hammer" for his enforcement of party discipline in close votes and his reputation for taking political retribution on opponents. He was appointed Deputy Minority Whip in 1988 and was elected House Majority Whip in 1995 after helping Newt Gingrich to lead the Republican Revolution. A whip in the United States House of Representatives is a member of the party leadership who comes second in line after the party's Floor leader, which A whip in the United States House of Representatives is a member of the party leadership who comes second in line after the party's Floor leader, which Newton "Newt" Leroy Gingrich, (born Newton Leroy McPherson on June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the Speaker The term can also refer to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that led to the establishment of the Republic of China. In the 1990s, he helped to start the K Street Project, an effort to pressure lobbying firms to hire Republicans to top positions. The K Street Project is an effort by the Republican Party (GOP to pressure Washington Lobbying firms to hire Republicans in top positions and to reward Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups He was a driving force behind the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998. Former President of the United States Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998 William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States DeLay was elected House Majority Leader after the 2002 midterm elections, and compelled House Republicans to unite to an unprecedented degree, especially in support of President George W. Bush's agenda. Elections for the United States House of Representatives on 5 November 2002 was in the middle of President George W George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. In the early 2000s, DeLay helped to coordinate efforts to redistrict congressional districts in Texas to favor the election of more Republicans. The 2003 Texas redistricting refers to a highly controversial congressional Redistricting plan appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United

In 2005, a Texas grand jury indicted DeLay on criminal charges that he had conspired to violate campaign finance laws during that period. In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. In the Common law legal system an indictment (ɪnˈdaɪtmənt (in-DITE-mint is a formal accusation of having committed a criminal offense Campaign finance refers to the means by which money is raised for election campaigns. DeLay denied the charges and pled not guilty, saying they were politically motivated and the law he was indicted under did not apply until later, but Republican Conference rules forced him to resign temporarily from his position as Majority Leader. The House Republican Conference is an organization for Republicans in the United States House of Representatives. In January 2006, under pressure from fellow Republicans, DeLay announced that he would not seek to return to the position. In the months before and after this decision, two of his former aides were convicted in the Jack Abramoff scandal. The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, DeLay ran for re-election in 2006, and won the Republican primary election in March 2006, but, citing the possibility of losing the general election, he announced in April 2006 that he would withdraw from the race and resign his seat in Congress. This article discusses only races that resulted in a seat's party switch in the U A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates He resigned on June 9, 2006, and sought to remove his name from the ballot. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The court battle that followed forced him to remain on the ballot, despite having withdrawn from the race.

After all the judicial wrangling^[1], DeLay's name was not on the ballot on election day. There were two elections for the House seat, a special election to fill the vacancy created by DeLay's resignation and the general election for the 110th Congress.

In the general election there were three main candidates. The 2006 Texas 22nd congressional district election for the 110th Congress was held on November 7, 2006, and attracted considerable attention Democrat and former US Representative Nick Lampson, Libertarian Party candidate Bob Smither, and Republican Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. Only Lampson's and Smither's names appeared on the ballot, as Sekula-Gibbs had to run as a write-in candidate because DeLay had previously won the Republican primary.

Contents 1 Biography and early political career 2 Early Congressional career 2.1 Contributions from Russian oil executives 2.2 Settlement in civil suit 3 Majority Leader 3.1 Legislative and electoral methods 3.2 Domestic policy 3.3 Foreign policy 3.4 Charity work 3.5 Accusations of misuse of federal investigative agencies 3.6 The K Street Project 3.7 Cuban cigar photo 3.8 Terri Schiavo 3.9 Jack Abramoff Scandal 4 Investigation of Texas fundraising and indictments 5 2006 campaign 6 Post-Congressional career 7 Media Portrayal 8 References 8.1 Notes 9 Further reading 10 External links 10.1 Weblog 10.2 Biography 10.3 U.S. Government links 10.4 Indictments

Biography and early political career

DeLay was born in Laredo, Texas. Laredo ( "luh-RAID-o" in English in Spanish is the County seat of Webb County, Texas, United States He spent part of his childhood in Venezuela, due to his father's work in the petroleum and natural gas industry. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, He later attended Calallen High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, and spent two years as a pre-med student at Baylor University before he was expelled for drinking and vandalism — DeLay was caught painting a building at rival Texas A&M University green and gold, Baylor's colors. Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U Baylor University is a private, Baptist -affiliated Research University located in Waco Texas. Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU, is a Coeducational public Research University located in College Station DeLay married Christine Furrh, whom he had known since high school, in 1967. The DeLays had a daughter, Danielle, in 1972.

DeLay received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biology from the University of Houston in 1970. A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing The University of Houston (often referred to as " U of H," " UH," or " Houston " is a public doctoral/research He spent three years working for Redwood Chemical. This work was the source for his nickname "the Exterminator". In the eleven years DeLay ran the company, the IRS imposed tax liens on him three times for not paying payroll and income taxes. The A tax lien is a Lien imposed on property by law to secure payment of taxes ^[2] The United States Environmental Protection Agency's ban on a certain pesticide that was used in extermination work led DeLay to oppose government regulation of businesses, a belief that he has carried with him throughout his political career. A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. ^[3]

In 1978, DeLay won the election for an open seat in the Texas House of Representatives. The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. He was the first Republican to represent Fort Bend County in the state House. Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U During his time in the Texas Legislature, he struggled with alcoholism and gained a reputation as a playboy, earning the nickname "Hot Tub Tom". Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions By the time of his election to Congress, he drank "eight, ten, twelve martinis a night at receptions and fundraisers. The martini is a Cocktail made with Gin and dry white Vermouth or sweet red Vermouth. "^[2] In 1985, DeLay became a born-again Christian, and later gave up hard liquor. He has stated that he "was no longer committing adultery by [the time of] the impeachment trial" in 1998. Adultery is the voluntary Sexual intercourse between a married person and another person who is not his or her Spouse, though in many places it is ^[4] In 1994, Christine DeLay began volunteering as a court-appointed special advocate for children in foster care, and soon thereafter, the DeLays became foster parents to three teenage boys. Foster care is a system by which a certified stand-in "parent(s" cares for minor Children or young peoples who have been removed from their birth parents

DeLay has declined to comment on reports in The New Yorker that he is estranged from much of his family, including his mother and one of his brothers. The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry ^[5] DeLay has not spoken to his younger brother, Randy, a Houston lobbyist, since 1996, when a complaint to the House Ethics Committee prompted Tom DeLay to cut his brother off in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust such as a Lawyer, Insurance adjuster, a Politician, executive or director ^[2]

DeLay was elected to the House in 1984, representing the Texas 22nd congressional district, after his predecessor, Republican Ron Paul, declined to run for re-election to run in the Republican primary for the 1984 U.S. Senate race. The US House election 1984 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1984 which coincided with the re-election of President Texas District 22 of the United States House of Representatives is the Congressional district that covers a south-central portion of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives

Early Congressional career

As a member of the Republican minority in the 1980s, DeLay made a name for himself by criticizing the National Endowment for the Arts and the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA is a United States federally funded and donation assisted program that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence During his first term in Congress, DeLay was appointed to the Republican Committee on Committees, which assigned representatives to House committees, and in his second term, he was appointed to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, a position that he retained until his election as Majority Leader in 2003. A Congressional committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty (rather than the general duties of Congress The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. He was reappointed to the committee in 2006 after leaving his position as Majority Leader. He also served for a time as chairman of a group of conservative House Republicans known as the Republican Study Committee, and as secretary of the Republican Conference. The Republican Study Committee is a Caucus of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives.

No one close to DeLay corroborated that DeLay attempted to serve in the military. The Washington Post reported that he had received student deferments while at Baylor, and had kept the deferment after his expulsion from Baylor in 1967. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D He received a high draft lottery number in 1969, and graduated from the University of Houston in 1970. On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States held a lottery to determine the order of draft (induction

DeLay was appointed deputy whip by then-Minority Whip Dick Cheney in 1988. A whip in the United States House of Representatives is a member of the party leadership who comes second in line after the party's Floor leader, which Whip is a role in party-based politics whose primary purpose is to ensure control of the formal decision-making process in a parliamentary legislature Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (born January 30 1941 is the forty-sixth and current Vice President of the United States. When the Republican Party gained control of the House in 1995 following the 1994 election, DeLay was elected Majority Whip against the wishes of House Speaker-elect Newt Gingrich. The US House election 1994 was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 8 1994, in the middle of President A whip in the United States House of Representatives is a member of the party leadership who comes second in line after the party's Floor leader, which The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer&mdashor speaker &mdashof the United States House of Representatives. Newton "Newt" Leroy Gingrich, (born Newton Leroy McPherson on June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the Speaker

DeLay was not always on good terms with Gingrich or Dick Armey, the House Majority Leader from 1995 to 2003, and he reportedly considered them uncommitted to Christian values. Richard Keith "Dick" Armey (born July 7, 1940 in) is a former U The term Christian values historically refers to the values found in the teachings of Christ. In 1997 DeLay unsuccessfully tried to remove Gingrich from his position as Speaker. Nevertheless, in the heyday of the 104th Congress (1995–1997), DeLay described the Republican leadership as a triumvirate of Gingrich, "the visionary"; Armey, "the policy wonk"; and himself, "the ditch digger who makes it all happen". The term triumvirate (from Latin, "of three men" is commonly used to describe a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals ^[6]

In keeping with his opposition to environmental regulation, DeLay criticized proposals to phase out the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which lead to the depletion of the ozone layer. The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes or alkyl halides) are a group of Chemical compounds consisting of Alkanes such as Methane The photochemical mechanisms that give rise to the ozone layer were worked out by the British physicist Sidney Chapman in 1930 In 1995, DeLay introduced a bill to revoke the CFC ban and to repeal provisions of the Clean Air Act dealing with stratospheric ozone, arguing that the science underlying the ban was debatable. A Clean Air Act describes one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of Smog and Air pollution in general

As Majority Whip, DeLay earned the nickname "The Hammer" for his enforcement of party discipline in close votes and his reputation for wreaking political vengeance on opponents. DeLay has expressed a liking for his nickname, pointing out that the hammer is one of a carpenter's most valuable tools. A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object The most common uses are for driving nails fitting parts and breaking up objects A carpenter (builder is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry - a wide range of Woodworking that includes constructing buildings, ^[7] In the 104th Congress, DeLay successfully whipped 300 out of 303 bills. ^[8]

In 1998, DeLay worked to ensure that the House vote on impeaching President Bill Clinton was successful. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States ^[2] DeLay rejected efforts to censure Clinton, who, DeLay said, had lied under oath. Not to be confused with Censor, Censer or Sensor. Censure (ˈsɛnʃəɹ is a process by which a formal Reprimand ^[9] DeLay believed that the U.S. Constitution allowed the House to punish the president only through impeachment. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. He called on Clinton to resign and personally compelled enough House members to vote to approve two articles of impeachment. ^[9][10]

Contributions from Russian oil executives

In December 2005, the Washington Post reported that, in 1998, a group of Russian oil executives had given money to a nonprofit advocacy group run by a former DeLay staffer and funded by clients of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, in an attempt to influence DeLay's vote on an International Monetary Fund bailout of the Russian economy. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups Jack Abramoff (born February 28 1959 is a former Lobbyist, and a businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic ^[11] Associates of DeLay advisor Ed Buckham, the founder of the U.S. Family Network, said that executives from the oil firm Naftasib had offered a donation of $1,000,000 to be delivered to a Washington, D.C.-area airport in order to secure DeLay's support. Edwin A Buckham is a former congressional staffer and lobbyist who presently is under investigation in various scandals surrounding high-profile lobbyist Jack Abramoff US Family Network Inc (USFN was founded in 1996 by Ed Buckham, who also served as the organization's consultant Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D On June 25, 1998, the U. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) S. Family Network received a $1 million check via money transferred through the London law firm James & Sarch Co. This payment was the largest single entry on U. S. Family Network's donor list. The original source of the donation was not recorded. ^[12] DeLay denied that the payment had influenced his vote. Naftasib denied that it had made the payment and that it had ever been represented by James & Sarch Co. The now-dissolved law firm's former partners declined to comment due to confidentiality requirements.

Settlement in civil suit

In early 1999, the The New Republic picked up a story, first reported by Houston-area alternative weeklies, alleging that DeLay had committed perjury during a civil lawsuit brought against him by a former business partner in 1994. The New Republic ( TNR) is an American Magazine of politics and the arts Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a

The plaintiff in that suit, Robert Blankenship, charged that DeLay and a third partner in Albo Pest Control had breached the partnership agreement by trying to force him out of the business without buying him out. Blankenship filed suit, charging DeLay and the other partner with breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, wrongful termination, and loss of corporate expectancy. fiduciary duty is a legal relationship of confidence or trust between two or more parties most commonly a fiduciary or Trustee and a principal In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual Wrongful dismissal, also called wrongful termination or wrongful discharge, is an Idiom and legal phrase describing a situation in which an employee's While being deposed in that suit, DeLay claimed that he did not think that he was an officer or director of Albo and that he believed that he had resigned two or three years previously. In Law, a deposition is witness testimony given under oath and recorded for use in court at a later date ^[2] However, his congressional disclosure forms, including one filed subsequent to the deposition, stated that he was either president or chairman of the company between 1985 and 1994. Blankenship also alleged that Albo money had been spent on DeLay's congressional campaigns, in violation of federal and state law.

DeLay and Blankenship settled for an undisclosed sum. For other uses of settlement including legal uses see Settlement. Blankenship's attorney said that had he known about the congressional disclosure forms, he would have referred the case to the Harris County district attorney's office for a perjury prosecution. Harris County is a County located in the US state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area DeLay has never been charged with a crime in connection with this case.

Majority Leader

After serving as his party's Whip for eight years, DeLay was elected Majority Leader upon the retirement of Dick Armey in 2003. Richard Keith "Dick" Armey (born July 7, 1940 in) is a former U His tenure as Majority Leader was marked by strong Republican party discipline and by parliamentary and redistricting efforts to preserve Republican control of the House.

After being indicted on September 28, 2005, DeLay stepped down from his position as Majority Leader. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was the first congressional leader ever to be indicted. ^[13] Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri took over as acting leader. Roy D Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is a Republican Politician from Missouri, representing ( map ^[14] On January 7, 2006, after weeks of growing pressure from Republican colleagues, and particularly from Reps. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Charlie Bass and Jeff Flake,^[15] who wanted to avoid being associated with DeLay's legal issues in an election year, DeLay announced that he would not seek to regain his position as Majority Leader. Charles Foster "Charlie" Bass (born January 8 1952) is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives Jeffrey "Jeff" Flake (born December 31, 1962) an American politician has been a Republican member of the United States

Legislative and electoral methods

DeLay was known to "primary" Republicans who resisted his votes (i. e. , to threaten to endorse and to support a Republican primary challenge to the disobedient representative),^[16] and, like many of his predecessors in Congress, used promises of future committee chairmanships to bargain for support among the rank-and-file members of the party. A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates

Employing a method known as "catch and release," DeLay allowed centrist or moderately conservative Republicans to take turns voting against controversial bills. In Politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting Moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes If a representative said that a bill was unpopular in his district, then DeLay would ask him to vote for it only if his vote were necessary for passage; if his vote were not needed, then the representative would be able to vote against the party without reprisal.

In the 108th Congress, a preliminary Medicare vote passed 216-215, a vote on Head Start passed 217-216, a vote on school vouchers for Washington, D. This article refers to Medicare, a United States health insurance program For the Australian television series see Head Start (TV series Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate issued by the government by which parents can pay for the Education of their children at a C. passed 209-208, and "Fast track," usually called "trade promotion authority", passed by one vote as well. NOTE: This does not refer to the type of case used under English Law of the same name Both political supporters and opponents remarked on DeLay's ability to sway the votes of his party, a method DeLay described as "growing the vote".

DeLay was also noted for involving lobbyists in the process of passing House bills. One lobbyist said, "I've had members pull me aside and ask me to talk to another member of Congress about a bill or amendment, but I've never been asked to work on a bill — at least like they are asking us to whip bills now. "^[17]

DeLay's ability to raise money gave him additional influence. During the 2004 election cycle, DeLay's political action committee ARMPAC was one of the top contributors to Republican congressional candidates, contributing over $980,000 in total. ^[18] Partly as a result of DeLay's management abilities, the House Republican caucus under him displayed unprecedented, sustained party cohesion. ^[19]

On September 30, 2004, the House Ethics Committee unanimously admonished DeLay because he "offered to endorse Representative [Nick] Smith's son in exchange for Representative Smith's vote in favor of the Medicare bill. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Nick H Smith (born November 5, 1934) is a politician from the U The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (, also called Medicare Modernization Act or MMA) is a law of the United States which "^[20]

Domestic policy

In 2001, DeLay defied President George W. Bush when DeLay refused to increase the Earned Income Credit (EIC) tax credit during the congressional battle over Bush's tax cuts for people making between $10,500 and $26,625 a year; when reporters asked DeLay about what he would do about increasing the EIC, DeLay simply stated, "[It] ain't going to happen. The United States federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC or EIC is a Refundable tax credit. A tax cut is a reduction in taxes. Economic stimulus via tax cuts along with interest rate intervention and deficit spending are one of the central tenets of Keynesian economics " When Bush's press secretary Ari Fleischer reiterated the president's desire for a low-income tax cut, DeLay retorted, "The last time I checked they [the executive branch] don't have a vote. Lawrence Ari Fleischer (born October 13 1960) was the press secretary for U In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. "^[21]

DeLay was rated a 2. 77 out of 100 by the Progressive Punch website for his votes regarding corporate subsidies, government checks on corporate power, human rights and civil liberties, labor rights and environmental policy. ^[22]

On economic policy, DeLay was rated 95 out of 100 by Americans for Tax Reform, and 95 to 100 by the United States Chamber of Commerce, a pro-business lobby. Economic policy refers to the actions that Governments take in the economic field. Americans for Tax Reform is an Interest group seeking to reduce the overall level of Taxation in the United States, at the federal state and local level The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC is the world's largest not-for-profit business federation representing 3000000 businesses (via its Federation of local chambers On environmental policy, he earned ratings of zero from the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters. Mission statement To explore enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources To educate and The League of Conservation Voters (LCV is a political advocacy organization that was founded in 1969 by American Environmentalist David Brower. He has been a fervent critic of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which he has called the "Gestapo of government". The ( contraction of ge heime Sta ats' po' lizei: "Secret State Police" was the official Secret police of Nazi Germany ^[23] DeLay is for gun rights in the gun politics debate. The right to keep and bear arms, RKBA, or right to bear arms is the concept that people individually or collectively have a right to Weapons Today this Gun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership use and regulation of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through ^[2] The American Civil Liberties Union measured that his voting history aligned with their civil liberties platform zero percent of the time. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. ^[24]

DeLay blamed Senate Democrats and what he called "BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) environmentalists" for blocking legislative solutions to problems such as the 2003 North America blackout. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread Power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States ^[25]

DeLay maintained public silence on Houston's 2003 METRORail light rail initiative, though in the past, he had opposed expanding light rail to Houston. METRORail is the Light rail line located in Houston Texas ( U For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. Public filings later showed that DeLay had his Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC) and his congressional campaign committee send money to Texans for True Mobility, an organization that advocated against the initiative. Americans for a Republican Majority (also ARMPAC) was a Political action committee formed by former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay The proposal passed by a slim margin. ^[26] Despite his earlier opposition, following the passage of the initiative, DeLay helped to obtain funding for the light rail program. ^[27]

DeLay is pro-life. Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-life individuals generally believe that human life should be valued either from conception or Implantation ^[2] In 2005, he voted 100 percent in line with the views of the National Right to Life Committee and zero percent with the National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League. The National Right to Life Committee is the largest Right to life / Pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over NARAL Pro-Choice America (pronounced "NAY-ral" is a Pro-choice organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose restrictions ^[28]

DeLay supported the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 ( providing for significant changes in Bankruptcy in the United States, was passed by the 109th United Critics of this law argued that it unduly favors creditors over consumers, and noted that the credit card industry spent millions of dollars lobbying in support of the act. A credit card is part of a system of Payments named after the small Plastic card issued to users of the system ^[29]

In 2004, the House Ethics Committee unanimously admonished DeLay for his actions related to a 2002 energy bill. A Committee memo stated that DeLay "created the appearance that donors were being provided with special access to Representative DeLay regarding the then-pending energy legislation. "^[30]

In 2005, DeLay, acting against the president's wishes, initiated the "safe harbor" provision for MTBE in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, together with Rep. Methyl tert -butyl ether, also known as methyl tertiary butyl ether and MTBE, is a Chemical compound with molecular formula C5H12O The Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( is a statute that was passed by the United States Congress on July 29 2005 and signed into law by President George W Joe Barton. Joseph Linus "Joe" Barton (born September 15, 1949) is a Republican politician representing ( map in the U ^[31] This provision would have retroactively protected the makers of the gasoline additive from lawsuits. The provision was dropped from the final bill.

DeLay opposes the teaching of the theory of evolution. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 After the Columbine High School massacre, he entered into the congressional record a statement saying that shootings happened in part "because our school systems teach our children that they are nothing but glorified apes who have evolutionized [sic] out of some primordial soup of mud. The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday April 20 1999 at Columbine High School in Columbine in unincorporated Jefferson County, "^[32]

Foreign policy

DeLay has been a strong supporter of the State of Israel, saying, "The Republican leadership, especially that leadership in the House, has made pro-Israel policy a fundamental component of our foreign policy agenda and it drives the Democrat [sic] leadership crazy — because they just can’t figure out why we do it!"^[33] In a 2002 speech, DeLay promised to "use every tool at my disposal to ensure that the Republican Conference, and the House of Representatives, continues to preserve and strengthen America's alliance with the State of Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The foreign policy of the United States is highly influential on the world stage as it is a Superpower. "^[34]

On a 2003 trip to Israel, DeLay toured the nation and addressed members of the Knesset. For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit His opposition to land concessions is so strong that Aryeh Eldad, the deputy of Israel's conservative National Union Party, remarked, "As I shook his hand, I told Tom DeLay that until I heard him speak, I thought I was farthest to the right in the Knesset. Prof Aryeh Eldad, MD (אריה אלדד also spelt Arie Eldad, born 1 May 1950) is an Israeli physician and politician and a member of the "^[35] Former Mossad chief Danny Yatom said "The Likud is nothing compared to this guy. The Mossad ( HaMossad leModi'in v'leTafkidim Meyuhadim) (המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים - Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations Danny Yatom (דני יתום born 15 March 1945) is a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Labour. Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. "^[36]

In 2005, in a snub to the Bush administration, DeLay was the "driving force behind the rejection of direct aid" to the Palestinian Authority. The deal was "brokered" by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC) is an American Lobbying group that advocates for pro- Israel policies to the Congress and In the wake of the legislation, some Jewish leaders expressed concern "about the degree to which the Texas Republican, an evangelical Christian who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, will go to undercut American and Israeli attempts to achieve a two-state solution. The "two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is the consensus solution that is currently under discussion by the key parties to the conflict "^[37]

DeLay has long been a strong critic of Cuban leader Fidel Castro's regime, which DeLay has called a "thugocracy", and a supporter of the U. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until S. trade embargo against Cuba. The United States Embargo Against Cuba (described in Cuba as el bloqueo, Spanish for "the Blockade " is an economic commercial and

Charity work

In 2003, DeLay set up a charity for abused and neglected children, with part of the funds going to the 2004 GOP convention. Child abuse is the physical, psychological or sexual maltreatment of children The New York Times described it as "aides to Mr. DeLay. . . acknowledged that part of the money would go to pay for late-night convention parties, a luxury suite during President Bush's speech at Madison Square Garden and yacht cruises. Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. . . . "They are using the idea of helping children as a blatant cover for financing activities in connection with a convention with huge unlimited, undisclosed, unregulated contributions," said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a Washington group that helped push through the recent overhaul of the campaign finance laws. Campaign finance refers to the means by which money is raised for election campaigns. "

Accusations of misuse of federal investigative agencies

During the Texas redistricting warrant controversy, several Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives fled to Oklahoma to prevent the House from establishing a quorum of members, thereby preventing the House from acting on any legislation. The Texas Eleven were a group of Texas Senate Democrats who fled the state of Texas for Oklahoma and New Mexico for 46 days in 2003 The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. In Law, a quorum is the minimum number of members of a Deliberative body necessary to conduct the business of that group Although not a member of the Texas legislature, DeLay became involved, by contacting several federal agencies in order to determine the location of the missing legislators. DeLay's staff contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for assistance in tracking down a plane that one of the legislators was flying to Oklahoma, an action that the FAA believed to be a result of safety concerns about the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of ^[38] A review by the U.S. Department of Transportation found that a total of thirteen FAA employees spent more than eight hours searching for the airplane. The United States Department of Transportation ( DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with Transportation ^[39] Members of DeLay's staff asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to arrest the missing Democrats. The FBI dismissed the request as "wacko". ^[38] DeLay also contacted United States Marshal and United States Attorney's offices in Texas, as well as the Air and Marine Interdiction Coordination Center, an agency that deals with smuggling and terrorism. United States Attorneys (also known as federal prosecutors) represent the United States federal government in United States district court and ^[40]

U. S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Connecticut) requested an investigation into DeLay's involvement in the requests, and asked that any White House involvement be reported. Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman (born February 24 1942 is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence The House Ethics Committee admonished DeLay for improper use of FAA resources, and for involving federal agencies in a matter that should have been resolved by Texas authorities. ^[41]

The K Street Project

See also: K Street Project

DeLay's involvement with the lobbying industry included a pointed effort on the part of the Republican Party to parlay the Congressional majority into dominance of K Street, the lobbying district of Washington, D. The K Street Project is an effort by the Republican Party (GOP to pressure Washington Lobbying firms to hire Republicans in top positions and to reward C. DeLay, Senator Rick Santorum, and Grover Norquist launched a campaign in 1995 encouraging lobbying firms to retain Republican officials in top positions. Richard John Santorum (born May 10, 1958) is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Grover Glenn Norquist (born October 19, 1956) is president of anti- Tax Lobbying group Americans for Tax Reform. Firms that had Democrats in positions of authority, DeLay suggested, would not be granted the ear of majority party members.

In 1999, DeLay was privately reprimanded by the House Ethics Committee after he pulled an important intellectual property rights bill off of the House floor when the Electronics Industries Alliance hired a former Democratic Congressman, Dave McCurdy. David Keith McCurdy (born March 30, 1950) is a US Lawyer, Politician, Conservative Democrat, and a former ^[42]

Firms initially responded to the campaign, but it waned during 2004, when the possibility of Senator John Kerry's winning the presidency gave lobbying firms some incentive to hire Democrats. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator ^[43]

Cuban cigar photo

DeLay has long been a strong critic of Cuban leader Fidel Castro's regime, which DeLay has called a "thugocracy", and a supporter of the U. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until S. trade embargo against Cuba. The United States Embargo Against Cuba (described in Cuba as el bloqueo, Spanish for "the Blockade " is an economic commercial and However, in April 2005, Time Magazine published a photo from a July 2003 trip to Israel, in which DeLay is seen smoking a Cuban cigar. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Tobacco Smoking is the inhalation of smoke from burned dried or cured leaves of the Tobacco plant most often in the form of a Cigarette. A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented Tobacco which is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the smoker's mouth ^[44] The consumption or purchase of Cuban cigars is illegal in the United States (but was, at the time, not illegal abroad). Since September 2004, the U.S. Treasury Department's enforcement of the law has been toughened to forbid consumption (smoking) or purchase of Cuban cigars by U. The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. S. citizens anywhere in the world. ^[45]

Terri Schiavo

See also: Government involvement in the Terri Schiavo case

DeLay made headlines for his role in the Terri Schiavo controversy. The legislative executive and judicial branches of both the United States federal government and the State of Florida, were involved in the case of Terri Schiavo Theresa Marie Schindler "Terri" Schiavo ( December 3 1963 – March 31 2005 was an American woman who suffered brain damage and became dependent on a Feeding tube On Palm Sunday weekend in March 2005, several days after the brain-damaged Florida woman's feeding tube was disconnected for the third time, the House met in emergency session to pass a bill allowing Schiavo's parents to petition a federal judge to review the removal of the feeding tube. Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. DeLay called the removal of the feeding tube "an act of barbarism. " DeLay faced accusations of hypocrisy from critics when the Los Angeles Times revealed that he had consented to ending life support for his father, who had been in a comatose state because of a debilitating accident in 1988. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed Life support, in the medical field refers to a set of therapies for preserving a patient's life when essential body systems are not functioning sufficiently to sustain life unaided In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. ^[46]

DeLay was accused of endorsing violence in the wake of a series of high-profile violent crimes and death threats against judges when he said, "The men responsible [for Terri Schiavo's death] will have to answer to their behavior. " DeLay's comments came soon after the February 28, 2005 homicide of the mother and husband of Chicago Judge Joan Lefkow, and the March 11, 2005 killing of Atlanta Judge Rowland Barnes. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Joan Humphrey Lefkow (born January 9, 1944) is a United States district court judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rowland W Barnes ( April 25 1940 – March 11 2005) was a Fulton County, Georgia, Superior Court Judge who oversaw DeLay's opponents accused him of rationalizing violence against judges when their decisions were unpopular with the public. Ralph Neas, President of People for the American Way, said that DeLay's comments were "irresponsible and could be seen by some as justifying inexcusable conduct against our courts. Ralph G Neas (born 1946 is president-emeritus of People For the American Way, a prominent progressive advocacy organization in the United States. People For the American Way (People For is a progressive, politically liberal Advocacy organization in the United States. "^[47] DeLay publicly apologized for the remark after being accused of threatening the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary.

Jack Abramoff Scandal

Abramoff Scandal

Events & scandals Indian lobbying scandal Guam investigation Marianas/Saipan scandal Internet gambling Monetary influence SunCruz Casinos Plead guilty Jack Abramoff (70 months) John Albaugh Jared Carpenter (45 days) Robert Coughlin Italia Federici (2 months) J. Steven Griles (10 months) William Heaton (24 months probation) Adam Kidan (70 months) Bob Ney (30 months) Tony Rudy Michael Scanlon Roger Stillwell (24 months probation) Neil Volz (24 months probation) Mark Zachares Convicted David Safavian (18 months) Named but not charged Ed Buckham Tom DeLay Tom Feeney Ernest Istook Kevin A. Ring Jeramy Gordon Others Team Abramoff Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis Grover Norquist Susan Ralston Ralph Reed Lou Sheldon Bob Schaffer Lists Related organizations Tribal clients Trips funded Timeline of events Category

This box: view • talk • edit

See also: Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal

DeLay may be one of the targets of the Justice Department investigation into Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's actions. The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, The Jack Abramoff Guam investigation involves an alleged plot by lobbyist Jack Abramoff and others to control the functions of the courts in Guam. The Jack Abramoff CNMI scandal involves the efforts of Jack Abramoff, other lobbyists, and government officials to change or prevent or both Congressional action The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act (IGPA was a 1999 bill in the US Senate to ban Internet gambling The monetary influence of Jack Abramoff ran deep in Washington as Jack Abramoff spent millions of dollars to influence and entertain Republican politicians SunCruz Casinos is one of many cruise lines that offer "cruises to nowhere" legally transporting passengers into International waters beyond the reach of Jack Abramoff (born February 28 1959 is a former Lobbyist, and a businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. John Albaugh is a former Republican Congressional staffer who was the fourteenth person found guilty in the Jack Abramoff scandals. Robert Jared Carpenter was the vice president of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy beginning in 2000 Robert E Coughlin, II is an American Lawyer and was formerly the Deputy Chief of Staff Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice. Italia Federici (born August 12, 1969) the former president of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA James Steven "Steve" Griles (born December 13, 1947) was a Coal lobbyist and the Deputy Secretary for the U William Heaton (born 1979 is the former chief of staff for former Rep Adam Kidan is a former business associate of convicted Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who partnered with Abramoff in the purchase of SunCruz Casinos. Robert William "Freedom Bob" Ney (born July 5 1954) is an American politician from the U Tony Charles Rudy (born May 3, 1966) an American Lobbyist and an associate of Jack Abramoff. Michael Scanlon is a former communications director for Rep Tom DeLay, Lobbyist, and Public relations executive who has plead guilty to corruption charges Roger G Stillwell (born October 13, 1939) an American Lobbyist. Neil Volz was Chief of Staff to Representative Bob Ney (R-Ohio staff director of the House Administration Committee and later part of Team Abramoff, when he left Mark Zachares is a former Congressional aide to Rep Don Young (R-AK and lobbyist who pleaded guilty to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from lobbyist David Hossein Safavian (born August 4, 1967) is a former chief of staff of the United States General Services Administration (GSA and a figure in Edwin A Buckham is a former congressional staffer and lobbyist who presently is under investigation in various scandals surrounding high-profile lobbyist Jack Abramoff Thomas Charles "Tom" Feeney III usually known as Tom Feeney (born May 21 1958) is a Republican politician from the state of Ernest James Istook Jr (born February 11 1950, in Fort Worth Texas) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives Kevin A Ring was a Lobbyist and Republican Congressional staffer "Team Abramoff" is the team of lobbyists assembled by Jack Abramoff when he worked at Greenberg Traurig, primarily of former aides to prominent Congressional Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis ( 1949 - February 6 2001) was a land-developer casino operator and restaurant owner of Greek descent who was murdered Grover Glenn Norquist (born October 19, 1956) is president of anti- Tax Lobbying group Americans for Tax Reform. Susan Bonzon Ralston (born October 15 1967) is the President of SBR Enterprises LLC a government affairs public relations and business consulting firm in Ralph Eugene Reed Jr, (born June 24, 1961) is a conservative American political activist best known as the first executive director of Rev Louis P "Lou" Sheldon (born 1934 in Washington DC Robert Warren "Bob" Schaffer (born July 24, 1962) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from the Jack Abramoff 's career brought him into contact with numerous organizations including lobbying firms restaurants Think tanks and charitable organizations Several Native American tribes were defrauded by Lobbyist Jack Abramoff in his namesake Indian lobbying scandal. The following is a list of trips for politicians lobbyists and staffers funded by Jack Abramoff. 1980s 1981 - Elected Chairman of the College Republican National Committee in a campaign managed by Grover Norquist, the executive director of the The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department Abramoff allegedly provided DeLay with trips, gifts, and political donations in exchange for favors to Abramoff's lobbying clients, which included the government of the U. S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Internet gambling services, and several Native American tribes. The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United Online gambling is a general term for Gambling using the Internet ^[48] Two of DeLay's former political aides, Tony Rudy and Michael Scanlon, as well as Abramoff himself, pleaded guilty in 2006 to charges relating to the investigation. Tony Charles Rudy (born May 3, 1966) an American Lobbyist and an associate of Jack Abramoff. Michael Scanlon is a former communications director for Rep Tom DeLay, Lobbyist, and Public relations executive who has plead guilty to corruption charges Political columnist Robert Novak has since reported that Abramoff "has no derogatory information about former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and is not implicating him as part of his plea bargain with federal prosecutors. Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist "^[49]

According to ABC's 20/20 television program, Abramoff lobbied DeLay to stop legislation banning sex shops and sweatshops that forced employees to have abortions in the Northern Mariana Islands when Abramoff accompanied DeLay on a 1997 trip to the U. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. 20/20 is an American television Newsmagazine broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. sex shop, erotic shop is a shop that sells products such as Sex toys Pornography, erotic Lingerie, erotic books and Safer sex A sweatshop is a working environment with very difficult or dangerous conditions usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situation An The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United S. commonwealth. The English noun commonwealth dates from the fifteenth century. While on the trip, DeLay promised not to put the bill on the legislative calendar. ^[50]

In 2000, the U. S. Senate unanimously passed a worker reform bill to extend the protection of U. S. labor and minimum-wage laws to the workers in the Northern Mariana Islands. A minimum wage is the lowest hourly daily or monthly Wage that employers may legally pay to employees or workers DeLay, then the House Republican Whip, stopped the House from considering the bill. ^[51] DeLay later blocked a fact-finding mission planned by Rep. Peter Hoekstra by threatening Hoekstra with the loss of his subcommittee chairmanship. Peter "Pete" Hoekstra (born October 30 1953 is an American politician from the U ^[50]

DeLay received gifts from Abramoff, including paid golfing holidays to Scotland, concert tickets, and the use of Abramoff's private skyboxes for fundraisers. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Luxury box or luxury suite is the North American term for a special seating section in Arenas Stadiums and other sports venues In May 2000, ARMPAC received the free use of one of Abramoff's private skyboxes to host a political fundraiser. May 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September At the time, campaign finance laws did not require the use of the skybox, valued at several thousand dollars, to be disclosed or for Abramoff to be reimbursed for its use. ^[52]

Later that month, the DeLays, Rudy, another aide, and Abramoff took a trip to London and Scotland. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Abramoff paid for the airfare for the trip, and lobbyist Ed Buckham paid for expenses at a hotel at St. Andrews golf course in Scotland. St Andrews (Cill Rìmhinn is a Town and former Royal burgh on the east coast of Fife, Scotland. ^[53] Abramoff was reimbursed by The National Center for Public Policy Research, the nonprofit organization that arranged the trip. On the day that the trip began, The National Center received large donations from two of Abramoff's clients, internet lottery service eLottery, Inc. , and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Both organizations denied that they had intended to pay for DeLay's trip. ^[54] House rules forbid members to accept travel expenses from lobbyists, and require that members inquire into the sources of funds that nonprofits use to pay for trips. DeLay denied knowing that lobbyists had paid for travel expenses. In July 2000, DeLay voted against a bill that would have restricted Internet gambling. Both eLottery and the Choctaws opposed the bill. ^[54] Rudy, who was then DeLay's deputy chief of staff, doomed the bill by engineering a parliamentary maneuver that required a two-thirds majority vote, rather than a simple majority, in order for the bill to pass. Rudy's actions on behalf of Abramoff's clients during this time were mentioned in Abramoff's guilty plea in January 2006. ^[55]

In January 2006, The Associated Press reported that in 2001, DeLay co-signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft calling for the closure of a casino owned by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. January 2006: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement John David Ashcroft (born May 9 1942) is an American Politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. The Alabama or Alibamu ( Albaamaha in the Alabama language) are a Southeastern culture people of Native Americans. Two weeks earlier, the Choctaws had donated $1,000 to DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority PAC (TRMPAC). Texans for a Republican Majority or TRMPAC (pronounced "trimpac" is a general-purpose Political action committee registered with the Texas Ethics Commission A DeLay spokesman denied that the donations had influenced DeLay's actions. ^[56] Currently, and at the time of the letter, casinos or other private gambling establishments are illegal in Texas, even on Indian reservations. ^[57]

Scanlon, who became Abramoff's lobbying partner, pleaded guilty in November 2005 to conspiracy charges. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. ^[58] Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy charges on January 3, 2006, and agreed to cooperate with the government's investigation. In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual Tax avoidance is the legal utilization of the Tax regime to one's own advantage in order to reduce the amount of tax that is payable by means that are within the law Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. His cooperation may have forced DeLay to abandon his efforts to return to his position as House Majority Leader,^[55] a decision that DeLay announced only a few days after Abramoff's plea bargain. Rudy pleaded guilty on March 31, 2006, to illegally acting on Abramoff's behalf in exchange for gifts. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[59]

Abramoff referred clients to Ed Buckham's Alexander Strategy Group (ASG), a lobbying firm. Alexander Strategy Group was an American lobbying firm involved in the K Street Project, founded by Ed Buckham and his wife Wendy In addition, Abramoff clients gave more than $1. 5 million to Buckham's U. S. Family Network, which then paid ASG more than $1 million. ^[60]

From 1998 to 2002, ASG paid Christine DeLay a monthly salary averaging between $3,200. A salary is a form of periodic payment from an Employer to an Employee, which may be specified in an Employment contract. 00 and $3,400. 00. DeLay's attorney, Richard Cullen, initially said the payments were for telephone calls she made periodically to the offices of certain members of Congress seeking the names of their favorite charities, and that she then forwarded that information to Buckham, along with some information about those charities. In early June 2006, Cullen said the payments were also for general political consulting she provided to her husband. June 2006 was a month with thirty days The following events also occurred during the month In all, Christine DeLay was paid about $115,000 directly by ASG, and got another $25,000 via money put into a retirement account by the firm. ^[61] Her work with ASG has been the subject of an inquiry by the Department of Justice. ^[48][62]

Investigation of Texas fundraising and indictments

Main article: Tom DeLay campaign finance investigation

2006 campaign

Main article: Texas 22nd congressional district election, 2006

Post-Congressional career

On December 10, 2006, DeLay launched a weblog that is, as of 2006, ghostwritten based on DeLay's ideas. The Tom DeLay campaign finance investigation led by Texas Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle led to the indictment of Tom DeLay in 2005 on The 2006 Texas 22nd congressional district election for the 110th Congress was held on November 7, 2006, and attracted considerable attention Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A blog (a contraction of the term " Web log " is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary descriptions of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A ghostwriter is a professional Writer who is paid to write books articles stories reports or other content which are officially credited to another person ^[63]

On March 14, 2007, DeLay co-authored No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight (ISBN 1595230343) with Stephen Mansfield. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. No Retreat No Surrender One American's Fight is a 2007 book by Tom DeLay and Stephen Mansfield. Stephen Mansfield (born 1958 is an American Author who writes on History, Religion, and Politics. He appeared on The Colbert Report on May 17, 2007 to promote the book. The Colbert Report (/kolˈbɛr rəˈpɔr/&mdashthe t is silent in "Colbert" is a Peabody Award and Emmy Award winning American Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[64]

Media Portrayal

• THE BIG BUY: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress is a documentary about the politics of Tom Delay. ^[65]

References

Notes

Further reading

• Burka, Paul. "Without DeLay", Texas Monthly. Texas Monthly is a monthly American Magazine published in Austin, Texas.  
• Byrne, John. "DeLay daughter's baby shower held by Texas energy firm under investigation", The Raw Story, April 6, 2005. The Raw Story is a news and politics Weblog founded in 2004 Updated continuously it is known primarily for its investigative reporting though critics accuse it  
• "DeLay indicted, steps down as majority leader", CNN, September 29, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-04-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English  
• Dix, George (October 21, 2005). Tom DeLay's Challenge to Texas Grand Jury Process. JURIST. JURIST is an online legal news service hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, written by founder Professor Bernard Hibbitts and a staff of more than
• Eilperin, Juliet. "DeLay Thanks Lobbyists With Vegas Trip", The Washington Post, September 22, 2000. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D  
• Flaherty, Peter. "Texas Smear Machine Targets DeLay", The American Spectator, September 23, 2004. The American Spectator is a conservative US monthly Magazine covering news and politics edited by R  
• Gamboa, Suzanne. "Ethics Panel Reviewing DeLay Complaint", The Associated Press, June 23, 2004. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio  
• Keane, Meghan. "Tom's Kids", The National Review, May 21, 2004.  
• Noah, Timothy. "What Did You Do in the War, Hammer?", Slate.com, May 4, 1999. Slate is an English-language online current affairs and culture Magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael  
• Perl, Peter. "DeLay's Next Mission From God", The Washington Post, April 9, 2006.  
• Report of the Audit Division on Americans for a Republican Majority (PDF). PoliticalMoneyLine. com.
• Rice, Ned. "Bugged By Tom DeLay", The National Review, March 23, 2005.  
• Schlader, Marty. "DeLay Disputes Charges Of Abuse In Saipan", The Galveston County Daily News, May 15, 2005. The Galveston County Daily News, formerly the Galveston Daily News, is a Newspaper published in Galveston Texas.  
• Smith, R. Jeffrey. "DeLay PAC Is Indicted For Illegal Donations", The Washington Post, September 9, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-04-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor.  

External links

Weblog

• Tom DeLay.com

Biography

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post

U. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D S. Government links

• DeLay testimony to the Committee on Resources, April 12, 2000, in which he argued against restrictions on oil exploration
• Investigation of Certain Allegations Related to Voting on the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, Report of the Committee of Standards of Official Conduct, September 30, 2004. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 72-page pdf file.

Indictments

• Copy of conspiracy indictment State of Texas v. Colyandro, Ellis & DeLay (PDF)
• Copy of money laundering indictment State of Texas v. Colyandro, Ellis & DeLay (PDF)

Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by Joe A. The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. Hubenak	Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 21 (Sugar Land) 1979–1983	Succeeded by Mark Stiles
Preceded by Jack R. The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. Sugar Land is a city located in Fort Bend County along the Gulf Coast region in the U Hawkins	Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 26 (Sugar Land) 1983–1985	Succeeded by Jim Tallas
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Ron Paul	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 22nd congressional district 1984–June 9, 2006	Succeeded by Shelley Sekula-Gibbs
Party political offices
Preceded by David Bonior Michigan	House Majority Whip 1995–2003	Succeeded by Roy Blunt Missouri
Preceded by Newt Gingrich Georgia	House Republican Whip 1995–2003
Preceded by Richard K. Armey Texas	House Majority Leader House Republican Leader 2003–September 28, 2005	Succeeded by Roy Blunt (acting) Missouri

Persondata
NAME	DeLay, Tom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Delay, Thomas Dale; DeLay, Thomas
SHORT DESCRIPTION	American Republican politician
DATE OF BIRTH	April 8, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH	Laredo, Texas
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. Sugar Land is a city located in Fort Bend County along the Gulf Coast region in the U The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. These are tables of congressional delegations from Texas to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Texas District 22 of the United States House of Representatives is the Congressional district that covers a south-central portion of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (born June 22, 1952 in Floresville Texas) is a Physician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives David Edward Bonior (born June 6, 1945) is an American politician from the U A whip in the United States House of Representatives is a member of the party leadership who comes second in line after the party's Floor leader, which Roy D Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is a Republican Politician from Missouri, representing ( map Newton "Newt" Leroy Gingrich, (born Newton Leroy McPherson on June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the Speaker A whip in the United States House of Representatives is a member of the party leadership who comes second in line after the party's Floor leader, which Richard Keith "Dick" Armey (born July 7, 1940 in) is a former U Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door (private Caucus. Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door (private Caucus. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Roy D Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is a Republican Politician from Missouri, representing ( map Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Laredo ( "luh-RAID-o" in English in Spanish is the County seat of Webb County, Texas, United States

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