Posted on 11/20/2004 8:20:05 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Firing back at Democratic critics who say he's violated House ethics rules governing fundraising, GOP House Majority Leader Tom Delay charged yesterday that his Democratic counterpart, Nancy Pelosi, engaged in her own crooked fundraising practices that actually broke the law.
"She has violated the law," Delay told reporters in Washington on Friday. "It's in the facts."
Reports the San Francisco Chronicle:
"DeLay was referring to a Federal Election Commission decision in 2003 in which one of Pelosi's fundraising committees was fined $21,000 for making illegal political contributions during the 2002 congressional elections.
"The FEC ruled that two Pelosi political action committees created to help Democrats in the 2002 elections were related instead of being independent and therefore violated a rule against giving more than the maximum $5,000 annual contribution."
The top House Democrat insisted that elections commission officials had given the verbal OK for bigger contributions but later changed their minds.
Unnerved by Delay's decision to publicly complain about her election law breaking, Pelosi struck back on Friday.
"Tom DeLay proved this morning that he is not only unethical, but delusional,'' she said. "No amount of mudslinging can hide the fact that Mr. DeLay has repeatedly abused his power. Over the years, this has resulted in four rebukes by the Ethics Committee."
Democrats were still fuming at the decision by House Republicans to amend internal party rules that would allow Delay to continue to serve even if he was indicted for his alleged improprieties.
Pelosi and other Democrats have urged the top Republican to step down from his leadership post after the House Ethics committee admonished him last week for allegedly giving donors special access by hosting a June 2002 fundraising golf outing for energy lobbyists.
The Committee also rebuked DeLay for using the Federal Aviation Administration to try to track a plane that Democratic state legislators in Texas flew out of state to stall a vote during last year's redistricting battle.
A Democratic prosecutor in Austin is reportedly mulling a possible indictment against Delay, but his supporters say Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is a partisan hack who has filed bogus charges against other Republicans in the past.
In 1993, Earle indicted Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson in the middle of her reelection campaign - only to have the case dismissed by a Texas judge.
Getting real ugly, and going to get worse before it's over.
Interesting.....they are turning on each other.....now that's funny......
DeLay to Pelosi: "Shaddap or I'll throw some water on ya."
DeLay is threatening to go nuclear!
I'd assume the RATS see the writing on the wall and will see to it that this inquiry is shut-down post-haste.
Dems trying so hard to hurt DeLay because he is so unafraid of them and is so strong, and they're trying to daily discredit him hoping to prevent him becoming the Speaker of the House sometime in the future.
I hope DeLay creams Pelosi and her Commie ilk. They are absolute trash, bring nothing to the Congress or the country other than trouble and obstructionism.
Down with the Progressive Caucus, Pelosi, and the whole lot of the Congressional pinkos.
Well said.
Hope the Hammer gives 'em hell.
The Donks need a lightning rod, somebody to demonize and blame for their troubles. They tried with President Bush, but got beat, badly. They can sling mud at the Big Guy, but it just doesn't stick. So now they are rooting around for another victim, and they come up with Delay for the Newt Gingrich treatment. But Delay is letting them know that he won't go quietly. If they want to take him down, they are going to pay a terrible price.
Go Hammer.
Everytime I see Pelosi on the news, her eyes are almost popping out of their sockets. She's 100% anger, no substance, no accomplishments.
If Piglosi has her eyes lifted anymore, she'll be able to see her own butt without looking in a mirror.
"Democrats were still fuming at the decision by House Republicans to amend internal party rules that would allow Delay to continue to serve even if he was indicted for his alleged improprieties"
Interesting that they should be fuming about Republican rules. The Dems NEVER adopted any rules about ethics like the Republicans--so why should they be fuming. The Republican rule on ethics is still more than the Dems have.
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