Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX)

How can the public have the confidence and trust in its public officials when someone in a significant position of power like House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) continually fails to live up the highest ethical standards?  The Code of Conduct of the House of Representatives asks that a Member “conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House” and “adhere to the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House.”

Some of Mr. DeLay’s ethics violations include:

• 2001 – NRCC campaign solicitations which promise meetings with top Bush Administration officials in exchange for donations. View JW Complaint.
• 2002 – NRCC campaign solicitations which promise Homeland Security briefings with top Bush Administration officials. View JW Complaint.
• 2002 – Soliciting and accepting contributions for Texans for a Republican Majority(TRMPAC) from executives from Westar Energy Corporation as quid pro quo for legislative assistance on an amendment to an energy bill pending before the House.  View Rep. Chris Bell’s complaint against Rep. DeLay.
• 2002 – Misuse of political action committees to launder corporate campaign contributions and direct funds to candidates for the Texas State Legislature. View Rep Chris Bell’s complaint against Rep. DeLay.
• 2003 – Contacting government agencies for partisan purposes. Rep. DeLay’s Congressional Office pressed the Federal Aviation Administration to provide assistance in locating an airplane that was believed to be flying some absent Texas legislators out of Texas. View Rep Chris Bell’s complaint against Rep. DeLay.
• 2003 – Offering to endorse Rep. Nick Smith’s son in his race for Congress if Smith would switch his vote on Medicate Legislation.

Judicial Watch launched an extensive campaign involving ethics complaints and civil litigation to stop the Mr. DeLay’s and the NRCC’s unethical campaign finance activities and various other unethical activities of Mr. DeLay.  This is part of Judicial Watch’s fight to restore ethics to the U.S. House to ensure no one, not even a Member of Congress, is above the law.  

QUICK LINKS

• Tom Delay and NRCC Timeline
• Congressional Ethics Coalition
• U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official Conduct report on "Investigation of Certain Allegations Related to Voting on the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003"