Posted on 06/16/2004 2:17:41 PM PDT by thoughtomator
Report: Criminal investigation of Rep. Frost launched
06/16/2004
By JIM VERTUNO / Associated Press
Democratic U.S. Rep. Martin Frost is under investigation in Travis County for possibly using illegal corporate donations to help finance Texas legislative candidates.
State Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, filed a criminal complaint against Frost, of Dallas, last month. He alleged Frost was engaged in activities similar to those Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has been investigating involving U.S. House majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land.
Frost campaign spokesman Jess Fassler said Frost has done nothing wrong.
The complaint alleged Frost raised corporate money in the 2000 election cycle and funneled it to state legislative candidates through a committee called the Lone Star Fund.
"Texas law is clear: Direct or indirect corporate or labor contributions to candidates is a felony offense," Deuell said in a letter to Earle. "I believe it is imperative that you investigate this matter."
In a Tuesday letter to Deuell, Earle, a Democrat, said his office's Public Integrity Unit had opened an investigation into the new claims and thanked the senator.
"Such vigilance is the price of freedom from domination of our electoral processes by special interests," Earle wrote.
Fassler called the accusations "frivolous and malicious" complaints designed to help U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, Frost's opponent in the November election.
Deuell said Internal Revenue Service filings for the Lone Star Fund showed that between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2000, Frost raised $256,800, mostly from corporations and labor unions. Only $60,000 was raised from individuals who could legally donate to legislative candidates.
Fassler said Deuell's complaint erroneously relies on a filing report that did not include cash on hand from contributions made by individuals before the reporting period.
He said the fund maintained separate nonfederal accounts, one of which raised money eligible for use in state elections. He said that account did not accept corporate donations. It raised more than $400,000 in 2000 but distributed less than that to state candidates.
The other account, which accepted corporate money, did not contribute to Texas candidates, Fassler said. All fund raising complied with state and federal laws, he said.
Earle has been conducting a grand jury investigation into the possible illegal use of corporate money in the 2002 elections to help Republicans win legislative seats that gave the GOP control of the Texas House for the first time since Reconstruction.
That's gonna leave a mark.
Ronnie Earl has a long history of indicting prominent politicos, both Democrat and Republican, anyone who crosses him.
Of course he has never managed to convict any of them.
So9
Sounds like Tom Delay is getting a little payback.
This is too complicated for me.
Earle's 'beard' investigation.
What's good for the goose (Delay) is good for the gander (Frost).
Take that Bell.
Nothing in my local news, Nothing...
Must be nothing to the news folk in Texas...
Not surprised
TT
Anything that will help get that scumbag Frost defeated is good enough for me--LOL!
Dallas Morning News has here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061704dnmetfrostinvest.21ff5.html
free registration required - but same (AP) story
Haven't seen any polling on this race yet. Who is considered to be ahead?
Beats me, I'm from New York! I was searching, in futility, for any report of the Democrat NJ governor's two aides who were indicted by the SEC, and came across this gem. Lo and behold it was only 20 minutes old, and not yet on FR.
That's what I thought too! Tom's not afraid to fight these people .. I think they've made a bad mistake going after Tom.
DeLay has already been accused by one of the other Texas crapweasels who was redistricted (by the state legislature in a gutsy move said to have been orchestrated by DeLay) into oblivion. Frost lost his mostly black safe district and now has to run against Sessions in a pretty middle-class, anti-abortion district.
It is my view that one of the greatest dangers that will face the country over the next 20 years will be the nasty vindictivnous of the dems in Congress who were forced to share Willie's filth, corruption and lying and had their noses rubbed in it. Frost is one of those guys. We will be way better off without this leftist no matter who replaces him.
Representative Martin Frost (D)
24th Congressional District, Texas
Democrat, Years of Service: 25
ACU Ratings for Representative Frost:
Year 2003 20
Year 2002 4
Lifetime 16
He's a Real 'Rat!
Yea right, Ronnie Earle is going to find something. When it comes to 'Rats, he could not find his A$$ with both hands and a GPS.
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