HOUSTON, April 2 (UPI) -- Recent guilty pleas and documents showing the inside workings of political lobbying shed light on the connections between Rep. Tom DeLay and big money.
Delay, R-Texas, has been indicted on money-laundering charges involving his Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee. The judge in the case has dismissed a conspiracy charge.
DeLay was required to resign as House majority leader as the ethics scandal became a detraction for the Republican Party.
The Houston Chronicle reports the investigation into former DeLay aides-turned-lobbyists gives more insight into how political power can yield big bucks, although it isn't necessarily illegal.
Ed Buckham, DeLay's former top aide, secured $770,000 worth of business for his lobbying business because of his connection to the Texas congressman, the newspaper said.
One client, Virginia-based software company Questerra Corp., paid more than $50,000 to TRMPAC and more than $32,000 to the Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee so the firm's president could play golf with DeLay, the Chronicle reported.
Tony Rudy, a former DeLay aide and Buckham's partner, pled guilty Friday to corruption charges relating to work with convicted super lobbyist Jack Abramoff and agreed to cooperate with other ethics investigations.
