1997 DeLay trip to Russia questioned
Reportedly sponsored by business interests
Say it ain't so, Tom!
WASHINGTON -- A six-day trip to Moscow in 1997 by then-House majority whip Tom DeLay was underwritten by business interests lobbying in support of the Russian government, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the trip arrangements.
Naw...not one of those straight-shootin' Commie hatin' Texans?!
DeLay reported that the trip was sponsored by a Washington-based nonprofit organization. But interviews with those involved in planning DeLay's trip say the expenses were covered by a mysterious company registered in the Bahamas that also paid for an intensive $440,000 lobbying campaign.
But how would they do that, and trick poor Tom?
It is unclear precisely how the money was transferred from the Bahamian-registered company to the nonprofit.
I knew it! They are so crafty, that when Tom was on his...
...expense-paid trip to Moscow (with) four of his staff members (that) cost $57,238, according to records filed by his office,...( and he)played golf, met with Russian church leaders, and talked to prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, a friend of Russian oil and gas executives associated with the lobbying effort...
he had no idea why he was there! I knew he was cool.
DeLay also dined with the Russian executives and two Washington-based registered lobbyists for the Bahamian-registered company, sources say. One of those lobbyists was Jack Abramoff, who is now at the center of a federal influence-peddling and corruption probe related to his representation of Indian tribes.
Probably didn't know who they were, and wouldn't have recognized them if he had heard of them. I guess. Feeling a bit nervous about my hero, now, though, I must admit.
House members bear some responsibility to ensure that the sponsors for their travel are not masquerading for registered lobbyists or foreign government interests, legal specialists say.
Sure, "some" responsibility...but not a lot, like asking, "Who paid for this?" or "Am I in the company of people I know to be lobbyists who are talking to me about legislation?"
House ethics rules bar the acceptance of travel reimbursement from lobbyists and foreign agents.
In this case, travel funds did not come directly from lobbyists; the money came from a firm, Chelsea Commercial Enterprises Ltd., that funded the lobbying campaign, according to the sources. Chelsea was coordinating the effort with a Russian oil and gas company that has business ties with Russian security institutions, the sources said.
See! He didn't take perks from lobbyists! He only took perks from, uh, well, lobbyist-funders! With perfectly legitimate ties to Russian energy concerns and the NKVD.
Aides to DeLay, who is now the House majority leader, said that despite the presence during the trip of the two registered lobbyists, DeLay thought the nonprofit organization -- the National Center for Public Policy Research -- was funding the trip on its own.
and the NCPPR itself says "The trips Rep. DeLay participated in had substantial public policy content. Reports that Rep. DeLay met with the Russian Prime Minister in Moscow and with Lady Thatcher in Britain (among other significant policy meetings) are correct. The National Center for Public Policy Research was careful to pay all the expenses associated with Congressman DeLay's trip. Reports to the contrary are incorrect." so we know it's true! Especially since Tom himself says, "The National Center is THE CENTER for conservative communications." What better credentials could you have?!
Oh sure, some of you are thinking, "Aren't they just vouching for each other?" All I can say is, "Picky, picky, picky!"
''The trip was initiated by the National Center," spokesman Dan Allen said, ''and they were the ones who organized it, planned it and paid for it."
Clearly Tom got "tricked." Probably by Democrats. It's not like he has ever done anything like this before!
The 1997 Moscow trip is the third foreign trip by DeLay to be scrutinized in recent weeks because of new statements by those involved that his travel was directly or indirectly financed by registered lobbyists or a foreign agent.
Well, maybe twice before. But otherwise he is clean as a new-born calf!
Media attention focused on DeLay's travel last month after The Washington Post reported on DeLay's participation in a $70,000 expense-paid trip to London and Scotland in 2000 that sources said was indirectly financed in part by an Indian tribe and a gambling services company.
DeLay on March 18 portrayed criticism of his trips and close ties to lobbyists as the product of a conspiracy to ''destroy the conservative movement" by attacking its leaders, such as himself.
Right on! Damn progressives! It's not like there is anything else questionable in the public record about him!
In a separate development, The New York Times reported today that DeLay's wife and daughter were paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by his political action and campaign committees, according to disclosure statements filed with the Federal Election Commission and Texas fund-raising records. Aides said the women played major roles in DeLay's political career.
Yeah! and now I suppose those nay-sayers of negativism will claim that paying that much to family members was some "unethical" way to siphon money from campaign contributions into his own pocket. They will stop at nothing to ruin a fine American! Remember, Delay is just another way of saying "problem"! Or something...OK?
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