Dean PR to DNC Exposes Lay/Enron's ties to Bush....BLockbuster Read!

KoKo

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Fri May-26-06 07:44 PM
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Dean PR to DNC Exposes Lay/Enron's ties to Bush....BLockbuster Read!

Edited on Fri May-26-06 07:46 PM by KoKo01

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/05/the_ties_that_b.php

Enron's Ties to Bush Run Deep

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement after the guilty verdicts of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling for their involvement in the Enron scandal:

"Today's guilty verdicts are another victory against the Republican culture of corruption that led President Bush’s buddy Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, Jack Abramoff, Representative Tom Delay and others to believe that they were above the law. The Enron scandal epitomizes the pay-to-play politics that has enveloped the Bush White House and Republican-controlled Congress. Ken Lay was defrauding his employees and investors but he had no problem keeping the Bush campaign and RNC flush in cash. Americans are ready for new leadership that puts the people's interests before the special interests. Democrats are united in our commitment to change the way business is done in Washington."

THE TIES THAT BIND:
ENRON AND KEN LAY'S TIES TO BUSH

Today, Enron founder Ken Lay was found guilty on six counts of conspiracy and fraud. A jury found that Lay helped engineer a conspiracy to artificially inflate Enron's profits, hide millions in losses and misrepresent the true nature of the company's finances. Until early 2004, Enron was President Bush's largest career patron and Ken Lay was a personal friend of President Bush. Now, Ken Lay is facing 20 to 30 years in jail for his role in one of America’s biggest corporate fraud scandals.

ENRON'S FUNDING OF BUSH'S POLITICAL CAREER

Enron and Lay Were Strong Supporters of Bush and Republicans. Kenneth Lay, Enron's CEO, was a Bush Pioneer in 2000, raising at least $100,000 for the Bush Presidential campaign. Enron gave $1,114,490 to the RNC, $300,000 to the Bush inaugural, and $113,800 directly to Bush's presidential campaign from Enron employees. Lay was also a co-chairman of an April 2000 RNC gala tribute to Bush, meaning that he raised or contributed at least $250,000 for that event. At the time, Enron was Bush’s largest career patron. Furthermore, as the Financial Times reported, “Perhaps the greatest example of Mr. Lay's cache was an affectionate nickname from President Bush – ‘Kenny Boy’ - which reflected his close ties to the White House as both a donor and adviser.”

* Lay Donated More Than $120,000 to Bush’s Gubernatorial Campaigns. Bush ran for Governor of Texas in 1994 and 1998. Enron CEO Kenneth Lay donated $122,500 to his campaign and Enron was a “Gold” sponsor for both gubernatorial inaugural committees that cost a total of $100,000.
* Bush Used Enron Corporate Jet as Presidential Candidate. In 1999, as a presidential candidate, the Bush campaign used Enron’s corporate jet for campaign purposes. According to a study by the Center for Responsive Politics, Bush used the Enron corporate jet “eight times last year <1999>, trips for which they were reimbursed” $25,302. Enron spokeswoman Karen Denne said that Bush personally approached Enron CEO Kenneth Lay and asked for use of the jet.
* Enron Contributed Over $3 Million to GOP/Bush Sr. and W. in Ten-Year Span. From 1992-2002, Enron contributed a total $3,021,108 to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Bush-Quayle ‘92 and George W. Bush 2000.

LAY AND BUSH HAD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

Bush and Lay Met in the 1980s. According to the New York Times, “The relationship between Mr. Bush and Mr. Lay is close, and old: the two men got to know each other in the 1980’s, when Mr. Lay was a big political supporter of Governor Bush’s father, former President George Bush.”

Lay Worked to Get Bush Library in Houston in 1989, Committed Funds in 1990. As early as July 1989, Ken Lay was leading a charge to bring the Bush presidential library to the University of Houston. In 1990, Lay, as University of Houston system Board of Regents chairman, announced that the board had committed $35 million toward the library. George H. W. Bush announced that Texas A&M in College Station would house his presidential library in spring of 1991.

Lay Worked With Bush on Houston Convention in 1992. According to the Houston Chronicle, “An ally of the elder George Bush, Lay worked closely with George W. Bush during the Republican National Convention in Houston in 1992, when Lay co-chaired the host committee.” Another Houston Chronicle story says, “Lay, a friend of Bush’s father, became close to the Oval Office’s current occupant in 1992. Lay was serving as co-chair of the host committee for the Republican National Convention in Houston, where the elder Bush was nominated for a second term.”

ENRON AND CHENEY'S INFAMOUS ENERGY BILL

Lay Gave Cheney a Memo That Called for Rejection of Price Caps; Memo Was Integrated Into Energy Plan. During a meeting between then-Enron CEO Kenneth Lay and Cheney in April 2001, Lay gave Cheney a memo that outlined some of Enron's positions on energy. Included in the Enron memo were notes on price caps negative impact on energy markets. "The administration should reject any attempt to re-regulate wholesale power markets by adopting price caps or returning to archaic methods of determining the cost-base of wholesale power," the memo said. "Events in California and in other parts of the country demonstrated that the benefits of competition have yet to be realized and have not yet reached consumers," the memo said. Cheney's energy plan advocated against price caps and calls for a bail out for energy consumers in California.

FORMER ENRON EMPLOYEES WORKED FOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION

Former Economic Advisor Lawrence Lindsey Received $50,000 From Enron; Claimed to Have Given Enron “Macroeconomic Advice.” In 2000, former Bush economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey received $50,000 from Enron for consulting and described the work he provided to Enron as “macroeconomic advice.” “I was simply hired to give macroeconomic advice the way lots of other firms do,” Lindsey said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday.” “I did my job. The accounting firm -- the accountants at Enron are the ones who are overseeing accounting.” <“Fox News Sunday,” 1/6/02; US News & World Report, 6/18/01>

Former Secretary of the Army Worked For Enron To Gain Contracts for Army Utilities. Former Secretary of the Army Thomas White was a former Vice President for Enron. At Enron, White oversaw Enron’s bidding for the privatization of Army utilities.

Former US Trade Representative and Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick Was on Enron Advisory Board. Before being appointed US Trade Representative by Bush, Robert Zoellick was a member of Enron’s Advisory Council.

Former Commerce Department Chief Counsel Provided Legal Services for Enron. Former Department of Commerce General Counsel Theodore W. Kassinger listed his employment with Enron Corporation as “legal services” and the National Journal further defined his role as handling “international trade and project-financing work.” According to the Department of Commerce, “The General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the U.S. Department of Commerce” and oversees other offices. <“Personal Financial Disclosure Form,” Office of Government Ethics, 3/29/01; National Journal, 6/23/01; Department of Commerce>

Former RNC Chairman Marc Raciot Lobbied for Enron, Led Enron’s Western Advocacy Team. Former Montana Governor, former RNC Chairman and former Bush-Cheney ’04 Chairman Marc Racicot worked as a lobbyist for Enron at the Washington D.C. office of Bracewell & Patterson. According to the Wall Street Journal, Racicot was “the star of Enron’s Western states ‘advocacy team,’” tasked with lobbying Western politicians.

Former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie Registered Enron Lobbyist, Fought For $254 Million Break. On March 21, 2001, before becoming chairman of the Republican National Committee, Gillespie registered to lobby for Enron. Gillespie said he would lobby on energy deregulation and California's deregulation situation, and received $525,000 from Enron. Enron executives described Gillespie as their key contact to the White House. A former Enron employee described Gillespie as the company’s “hired gun,” and said, “Whenever we had to get in to see a Republican, the first call was to Gillespie.” Gillespie also lobbied for the DeLay “stimulus” bill, which would have given Enron a $254 million tax break.

* Gillespie Lobbied Lundquist to Have Enron-Friendly Language. In April 2001, then-Enron lobbyist Ed Gillespie e-mailed Andrew Lundquist, the energy task force executive director from Feb. 1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2001 and asked if the administration’s talking points could include a number of proposals favored by Enron. Gillespie also tells Lundquist that they are “going into the field with a new nationwide poll next week” and to “please let me know if there’s anything you would like tested.”

Karl Rove Held Over $100,000 of Enron Stock. White House Political Advisor Karl Rove held Enron stock worth between $100,000 to $250,000 while the Bush administration was writing its energy plan.

Ralph Reed Lobbied For Enron. After receiving a recommendation from Karl Rove, Enron hired former Christian Coalition executive director and current candidate for Georgia Lt. Governor Ralph Reed for lobbying services. According to the New York Times, “Associates of Karl Rove, Mr. Bush’s top political adviser, said he had recommended a lucrative consulting contract with Enron for Ralph Reed, the Republican strategist, as Mr. Bush was weighing whether to run for president.” In an October 23, 2000 memo to Enron, Reed wrote, “We are a loyal member of your team and are prepared to do whatever fits your strategic plan. … In public policy, it matters less who has the best arguments and more who gets heard -- and by whom.”