Firm Says House Lawyers Approved Payments for Trips

[BadNews]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/politics/21ethics.html?ei=5090&en=c36487f965db3fb4&ex=1277006400&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

<Snip>
WASHINGTON, June 20 - A law firm under scrutiny for its role in arranging overseas trips for members of Congress says House ethics lawyers advised the firm several years ago that it could pay for some Congressional travel, an assertion that may bolster the argument of Representative Tom DeLay that he did nothing wrong in accepting lavish trips organized by the firm's star lobbyist.

Internal memorandums and e-mail messages from the Seattle firm, Preston Gates & Ellis, say that the firm contacted two lawyers on the House ethics committee in 1996, when it began organizing large numbers of trips, and was told House rules probably allowed lobbyists to pay for a lawmaker's travel, as long as a client reimbursed the firm.

<Snip>

Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21, a watchdog group that has called for an outside counsel to investigate Mr. DeLay, said the Preston Gates document should offer little comfort to Mr. DeLay since "there are many other ethics issues involved in the investigation" beyond the logistics of the travel payments.

"Did DeLay solicit any of these trips, which would be a violation?" Mr. Wertheimer asked. "Did any of these trips involve reimbursement for recreation, which would be improper? Was there disclosure of who actually paid for these trips? We don't have answers to those questions."
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You watch, this SOB is going to walk. Our best hope is to beat him at the polls as this is just going to turn into a he said she said accusations. Pretty frustrating.

[aquart]

1. Sure he'll walk. Shedding filth on whomever touches him.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. Oh, come on! Delay had to have known those trips were illegal!!

[EFerrari]

3. Ah, how do they vote in his district?

What kind of machines?

:eyes:

[patdem]

4. So if I being a crooked lawyer wrote to another probably cooked lawyer

and asked permission to break a specific law and the other possibly crooked lawyer said it is PROBABLY not breaking the law, but does not site me the REASON I am PROBABLY not breaking the law, and when I am CAUGHT breaking that very law, all I have to say is another crooked lawyer told me it was okay and THAT IS MY GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD?

YET OUR BURDEN OF PROOF ON THE DSM is a picture of blair with his tounge up * arse and all participants signatures in blood!