Three Linked to DeLay Indicted in Texas Scandal
Tue Sep 21, 2004 06:29 PM ET
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By Hilary Hylton
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Three men with close ties to U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay were indicted on Tuesday along with eight companies for illegal fund-raising activities in a political action committee formed by the powerful Texan.
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle told reporters the investigation, not yet finished, had uncovered ominous behavior by the group.
"What has emerged is the outline of an effort to use corporate contributions to control representative democracy in Texas," he said.
The grand jury in Austin has been looking into whether DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority, of TRMPAC, gave candidates money that came from corporate donors, which is illegal in Texas.
Those indicted included former TRMPAC director John Colyandro, Washington-based fund-raiser Warren Robold and former DeLay aide Jim Ellis, who now heads Delay's national fund-raising group Americans for a Republican Majority.
Ellis was indicted on one count of money laundering, Colyandro on 14 counts of money laundering and accepting unlawful political contributions, and Robold, 48, on nine counts of making and accepting unlawful political contributions.
Ellis, 47, and Colyandro, 40, were accused of taking $190,000 in corporate donations and giving it to the Republican National State Elections Committee, which then gave like amounts to seven candidates for the Texas House of Representatives.
Colyandro was accused of accepting a total of $450,000 in illegal contributions, and Robold $250,000.
DeLay told reporters in his House leadership office the indictments showed the Texas investigation "isn't about me" and said he knew of no wrongdoing. He admitted helping TRMPAC raise money, but said "I wasn't involved in the day-to-day operations."
He chalked up the charges against his associates to election year politics. District Attorney Earle is a Democrat and has been accused by Republicans of conducting the TRMPAC probe to help his party.
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