www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1510734/posts
flattorney The US Hispanic Contractors Association has pleaded guilty to two count s of giving illegal corporate donations to Democratic candidates during the 2002 election. The association, facing a maximum fine of $20,000 per count, agreed to pay $3,000 for each donation. "Texas law is very clear in prohibiting campaign contributions by corporations and labor unions, " Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said. Although the charge is similar to those levied against US Rep. Tom DeLa y, R-Sugar Land, and the Texas Association of Business, the facts are so mewhat different. The contractors were charged with contributing money collected from busin esses to political candidates. John Sharp, running for lieutenant govern or, received $1,000 from the contractors, and Sam Guzman, running for st ate representative from Austin, got $2,000. In the case of DeLay's committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, the R epublicans spent $600,000 of corporate money on consultants, fundraisers , phone banks, pollsters and made a $190,000 transfer to the Republican National Committee, which then gave $190,000 to Texas candidates during the 2002 elections. But DeLay's committee apparently did not give corpor ate money directly to candidates, as the contractors did. Officials with Texans for a Republican Majority were indicted on several charges, including money laundering and violations of the state election code. A grand jury indicted the Texas Association of Business, the stat e's largest business organization, on charges of violating the election code but took no action against its leaders. US Hispanic Contractors spokesman Justin Keener said association offici als didn't understand the ban on corporate or union money being used in connection with a campaign. "When these contributions were made, the org anization was in its infancy and did not fully understand the laws gover ning such contributions," he said. "They regret the incident and accept full responsibility." However, Keener added, "Certainly nobody is above the law, but the timing (of the prosecution) is suspect given Mr Earle's case against Mr DeLa y These contributions were made years ago." The contractors' violation, however, came to prosecutors' attention becau se of a broader investigation into the City of Austin's efforts to help female and minority contractors, specifically into allegations that Bond ing and Technical Services Inc. The charges against the contractors were filed by Earle's White Collar Cr imes Unit, which is investigating Bonding and Technical Services. The De Lay investigation is being led by Earle's Public Integrity Unit, which h andles allegations of wrongdoing by public officials and employees. In an unrelated campaign finance case, a Travis grand jury on Thursday ha nded up an indictment charging a Democratic district judge in Eagle Pass with two counts of tampering with a government record. Judge Amado J A bascal III faces up to two years in prison on each charge that he filed campaign finance records detailing 15 $1,000 campaign contributions from people who gave him no money. Abascal is accused of filing the reports in March 2003, but the indictment says he waived the three-year statute of limitations provided under state law.
The DeLay Chronicles - Criminal Indictments & Trial Weekly Intel Report & Extensive Reference Master List Weekly Intel Report; complete master links index of pertinent Tom DeLay c riminal indictments-trial & related FR threads; and much more info, updated 24/7, are being maintained on FlAttorney's FR p rofile page, for ease of information and discussion research.
Someone in the MSM actually linked the words Democrats, illegal, and camp aign contributions in the same article? I guess that next they'll suddenly find out the unconstitutionality of th e DEA, EPA, Violence Against Women Act, and the 1968 Gun Control Act. I know that list is pretty short in light of what all the Feds are doing that they shouldn't, but you have to start somewhere.
View Replies To: wvobiwan Umm, shouldn't Ronnie Earle be more interested in prosecuting matters of this nature, than wasting his time chasing rainbows and bogus charges ag ainst Tom DeLay?
View Replies To: flattorney In an unrelated campaign finance case, a Travis grand jury on Thursday ha nded up an indictment charging a Democratic district judge in Eagle Pass with two counts of tampering with a government record.
View Replies To: tarawa more legal fun here in Austin I was reading the dead tree statesman this AM, and this was in the Metro pages. Had these been Republicans, you can bet your @$$ it would have be en on page A-1, above the fold.
Politics and politic ians in this city are a breed apart. I see where Ronnie Earle, Jr is running for TX rep from my district! I'm backing Alex Constano--may need some freeper h elp a little later on.
View Replies Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
|
http://csua.com/feed/