DeLay and the Mob

It's official: Congressman, lobbyist have parted ways, DeLay's spokesman says


Let's break this down a little...

DeLay had a relationship with Abramoff, DeLay called him his dearest friend at one time. Abramoff appears to have paid for some of DeLay's travel expenses (aka vacations). Abramoff is associated with organized crime. Abramoff and his partner in crime, Adam Kidan, were charged with defrauding Boulis of $60 million. Boulis got gunned down in an ambush afterwards.

DeLay claims that he did not know that his dearest friend paid for some of those vacations. BS. Oh yeah, he also says to blame the democrats... pathetic. It wreaks of a cover-up. I mean, even Rader, the BTK killer, fooled his family, so it's not impossible that DeLay just didn't know this side of Abramoff. So why not just say that... unless he did know and possibly some proof of it.

It's one thing to not know your friend is a murderer, it's another to not know he paid for your vacation. If I paid for a friend's vacation, I'd be sure to let them know I did it. And for a lobbyist to pay for something of DeLay's, expecting favortism, they'd want to make sure they were properly credited.

But then, you can't expect DeLay to admit that he knew the mobster paid for the travelling, because that would make it too easy for the ethics investigation. And if the ethics investigation reveals a close relationship, then they could potentially investigate the extent of DeLay's contacts with the mob.

So, this ethics investigation regarding travel expense payments could potentially open up a very large can of worms for DeLay and maybe other members of Congress. After all, if the mob had influence with DeLay, surely there are others in their pocket for unsavory purposes.
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"It's official: Congressman, lobbyist have parted ways, DeLay's spokesman says

By WILLIAM C. MANN Associated Press Writer

(AP) - WASHINGTON-As a legal morass deepens for one-time superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, Rep. Tom DeLay, one of the most powerful men in Congress, is doing some damage control to distance himself from a man he once placed among his 'dearest friends.'

DeLay's spokesman says their relationship no longer exists.

Abramoff is free under $2.5 million (�‚�2 million) bond on six federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud in the purchase of a casino boats. He is spending a few days at his home in Washington's Maryland suburbs before he is to return to Florida on Aug. 29 to file a plea.

Until last year, Abramoff was among Washington's premier lobbyists, a man whose telephone calls always would be answered. Now he is at least a sidelines figure in an investigation of a street shooting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that police said had the trappings of an organized crime murder. His lawyer said Tuesday that Abramoff would be glad to be interviewed by police investigating the killing.

The victim was Konstantinos 'Gus' Boulis, whom Abramoff and a colleague are charged with defrauding in the $147.5 million (�‚�119.8 million) sale of SunCruz Casinos in 2000. Abramoff and Adam Kidan, his business partner are accused of pocketing $60 million (�‚�48.73 million) from the deal. Boulis was gunned down in an ambush some months later.

Abramoff also is a major figure in a House of Representatives ethics investigation of DeLay, which the Texas congressman requested, to determine the truth of allegations that Abramoff or his clients paid some of DeLay's overseas travel expenses in contravention of House rules.

DeLay has said he did not know that the expenses were paid by Abramoff, whom he once described as 'one of my closest and dearest friends.'

Not any more.

'There is no relationship between Mr. Delay and Mr. Abramoff,' DeLay spokesman Ben Porritt said Tuesday. 'Any mention would be in the past tense.'

Porritt blamed politics for the continuing connection in the news media between the two.

'We feel this is an ongoing effort by the political left,' he said. 'Those on the political left target Mr. DeLay because he is capable and effective in delivering the conservative message.'

DeLay, second in power only to Speaker Dennis Hastert in the House, often has used the charge that he was under political attack to divert stories about his relationship with Abramoff since the disgraced lobbyist began to become a liability several months ago.

Last March, as allegations of misconduct began to be aired both in Texas and in the Congress, DeLay said he had not been found to be breaking the rules but that anyway, the Democrats were responsible.

'All they can do is try to tear down the House and burn it down in order to gain power,' DeLay said."