Friday, December 16, 2005

Republicans indicted, convicted, and under investigation.

The Republicans make such a big deal about their supposed 'moral values' and their claim that they restored íntegrity' to the White House. Yet every day brings more news of Republican corruption, criminality, greed, and arrogance. A few examples:

Tom Noe, an Ohio coin dealer. He allegedly laundered money into President Bush’s re-election campaign and was indicted on October 27, 2005. The three-count indictment states that beginning in October 2003, Mr. Noe contributed to President Bush’s election campaign “over and above the limits established by the Federal Election Campaign Act." He did so in order to fulfill his pledge to raise $50,000 for a Bush-Cheney fund-raiser. Noe, a Bush "pioneer," is also being investigated for stealing millions from the state.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby - Chief of Staff for Dick Cheney. A federal grand jury indicted him on October 27, 2005 on five charges related to the investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's name (Valerie Palme) to the media.: one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements. The crimes charged in the indictment carry the following maximum penalties:
Obstruction of justice -- 10 years in prison;
Making false statements and perjury -- each 5 years.
Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000."


Tom DeLay House Majority Leader (forced to give up his leadership post after indictment). A Texas grand jury indicted DeLay on September 28, 2005 on a charge of criminally conspiring with two political associates to inject illegal corporate contributions into 2002 state elections. (This charge has been dropped for technical reasons). On October 3, 2005 a Texas grand jury brought a charge of money laundering against DeLay. This crime is punishible by a maximum life prison term and a $10,000 fine. On December 16 Bush said that Delay is innocent, a comment some consider close to jury tampering. On December 5 Cheney flew to Texas to headline a fund raiser for DeLay, showing his support in spite of the indictments.

Comment:
You may be saying, "Yeah, sure. All politicians are alike. The Democrats are no better." or something like that. I'll respond:
1) The Democrats are better. If you take the time to look into it you'll see that corruption permeates the Republican party. Republican corruption makes Democrat corruption look like a tea party.
2) This blog is about Republicans and why not to vote for or support them.

John Colyandro - executive director of the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee. He was indicted in 2004 for accepting illegal corporate donations and for illegally laundering $190,000 in corporate funds through the Republican National State Elections Committee that later wound up in the hands of Texas Republican candidates.

Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee. On September 8, 2005 a grand jury in Texas indicted the state political action committee organized by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) for accepting $120,000 in allegedly illegal corporate campaign contributions shortly before and after the 2002 elections.

Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California was convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion. He resigned from Congress November 28, 2005 after pleading guilty to evading taxes and conspiring to pocket $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors, including a Rolls-Royce, a yacht and a 19th-century Louis-Philippe commode.

Michael Scanlon, an associate of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty Nov. 21 to conspiring to bribe a congressman and other public officials. Scanlon agreed to pay back more than $19 million he fraudulently charged Indian tribes.

Jack Abramoff, a major Republican fundraiser, is being investigated by the Justice Department. An inquiry into Abramoff's activities has been broadened to include at least half a dozen lawmakers. Scanlon and Cunningham have agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

Shaun Hansen headed a telemarketing company that placed hundreds of hang-up calls in New Hampshire during the 2002 election to Democratic and labor union get-out-the-vote phone banks. Hansen's company was hired by Republican operatives to place the calls, violating a federal law that forbids placing anonymous telephone calls to annoy or harass someone. He was indicted on April 4, 2005. Chuck McGee, the former executive director of the Republican state committee, has pleaded guilty in the scheme and been sentenced to seven months in federal prison. Allen Raymond, a GOP consultant from Virginia, also has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to five months in prison. James Tobin, who was regional director of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and New England director of Bush's reelection campaign, was indicted in federal court on four felonies accusing him of conspiring to jam Democratic and labor union get-out-the-vote phone banks in November 2002. U.S. Senator Bill Frist, now majority leader of the Senate, was Tobin's boss at the time nad may have known about the phone-jamming plan.

Bob Taft, Republican govenor of Ohio, was charged on August 17, 2005 with four criminal misdemeanor counts for failing to report 52 gifts including golf games, meals, and professional sports tickets. He pleaded no contest and was fined $4000. He refused to resign.

A few more names:
Lawrence Novak: Former Vice-Chairman of the Massachusetts Republic Party. Arrested
Ernie Fletcher: Governor of Kentucky. Scandal.
Darrell Brock: Chairman of the Kentucky GOP. Indicted
George Ryan: Former Governor of Illinois. On trial
Scott Fawell: Aide to Gov. George Ryan. Pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud
John Rowland: Former governor of Connecticut. Pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy
Edmund Matricardi: Former Republican Party of Virginia Executive Director. Pleaded guilty to one count of felony wire intercept
Gary Russell Thomson: Former Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia. Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting the unauthorized publication of a wire communication
Adam Taff: Two-time Republican Congressional candidate from Kansas. Indicted
Todd Riffle: Former aide to Governor Christie Todd Whitman (R-NJ). Indicted
David Safavian:

More to come...

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