The First Casualty of the DeLay Conspiracy - Todd Baxter

Is the Hammer Nailed?
BY AMY SMITH
Austin Chronicle

Monday's indictment of DeLay and associates John Colyandro and Jim Ellis charges the trio with conspiracy to launder money – a first-degree felony that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The three are accused of sending $190,000 in corporate money to the Republican National Committee, which then sent separate checks totaling $190,000 to GOP candidates in seven competitive legislative races, including those of Austin state Rep. Todd Baxter and former Reps. Jack Stick of Austin and Rick Green of Dripping Springs.
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By Laylan Copelin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, October 15, 2005

Lawyers for Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, indicted with DeLay on charges that they conspired to launder corporate money into political donations, complained that prosecutors had not provided the list of candidates' names that Ellis allegedly gave officials at the Republican National Committee.

The three are accused of giving $190,000 in corporate money to the RNC which, two weeks later, gave the same amount in political donations to seven Texas candidates during the 2002 election.

In court, prosecutors provided a list but declined to promise it was the same list cited in the conspiracy indictments. They suggested that the list, which included the names of 17 Texas candidates, might have been a precursor to the final list given to the committee.

Two Austin candidates, Jack Stick and Todd Baxter, received money from the committee, as did Rick Green of Dripping Springs.
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Candidates Who Received Donations Believe They Were Legal
Money Came From DeLay's Political Action Committee
POSTED: 8:04 am CDT October 7, 2005
UPDATED: 8:20 am CDT October 7, 2005
The Associated Press

Rep. Todd Baxter, who received a check for $35,000 from the RNC, did not return calls from the AP, but issued a statement calling DeLay a "loyal public servant to the people of Texas."
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Baxter to resign House seat
10/20/2005 11:49 AM
By: News 8 Austin Staff

State Rep. Todd Baxter is stepping down. The two-term republican lawmaker narrowly won re-election last November against challenger Kelly White by 147 votes. His resignation becomes effective Nov. 1