DeLay's Sleazy Fundraising: A Personal Story

The Daily DeLay: T-Minus 11 Days and Counting
DeLay's Sleazy Fundraising Practices

On April 3, 2001, the Associated Press reported that DeLay was making recorded calls to small business owners, promising them meetings with top Bush officials where they could voice their opinions on issues like tax reform in exchange a $20,000 contribution to join his "Business Advisory Council."

When Campaign Money Watch was evaluating whether to get involved in Tom DeLay's race, one email we received caught our attention and we share it with you now as an example of the type of fundraising tactics DeLay uses:

I have been called twice by telemarketers I'm sure, saying they were from his office, asking me to be on a Board to discuss issues that small businesses have, and can they use my name in a large ad they are running in the NY Times. I said I would be happy to attend a discussion of the issues of small businesses, but I wasn't going to give them any money. Initially they denied that was a problem, but after several rounds of palaver, that was the bottom line. I said I was not going to give them any money and never heard from them again.

Misrepresentation? Dishonest?

I think the answers to her questions are clear.

It is against the law to offer something in return for a contribution. Tom DeLay doesn't believe that the rule of law applies to him. That's the point of the first three seconds of our ad, which opens with the scales of justice exploding. The ad is running in Houston today.

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