christian grantham
Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD.
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March 09, 2005

What is it with the Republican Party's love affair with an ethically admonished Republican House Majority Leader at the center of a criminal investigation? Is Tom DeLay's (R-TX) ability to raise money at the expense of United States House of Representative ethics rules and most likely the laws of the state of Texas more important than the rule of law to the party in control of the House, the Senate and the White House? The plain and simple answer is a resounding YES.

As I've been reporting for the past few months, the truth is slowly and methodically coming to light about Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's role in felonious criminal behavior in Texas. If DeLay and his fellow Republicans think DeLay's indicted colleagues are going to go to prison for this thug, they have their noses way too far up DeLay's pipeline.

The documents, which were entered into evidence last week in a related civil trial in Austin, the state capital, suggest that Mr. DeLay personally forwarded at least one large corporate check to the committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, and that he was in direct contact with lobbyists for some of the nation's largest companies on the committee's behalf.

In an August 2002 document subpoenaed from the files of the indicted fund-raiser, Warren M. RoBold, Mr. RoBold asked for a list of 10 major donors to the committee, saying that "I would then decide from response who Tom DeLay" and others should call to help the committee in seeking a "large contribution."

Another document is a printout of a July 2002 e-mail message to Mr. RoBold from a political ally of Mr. Delay, requesting a list of corporate lobbyists who would attend a fund-raising event for the committee, adding that "DeLay will want to see a list of attendees" and that the list should be available "on the ground in Austin for T.D. upon his arrival."

Under Texas law, corporations are barred from donating money to state political candidates. The Texas committee acknowledged receiving large corporate donations during the 2002 campaign but always insisted that the money was used for administrative costs, which is legal.
[Documents Suggest Bigger DeLay Role in Donations - New York Times - 03-09-05]