Posted on 10/13/2005 2:27:40 PM PDT by flattorney
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A Texas prosecutor subpoenaed records for the home telephone of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and the phone of his political campaign Thursday. Also subpoenaed by prosecutor Ronnie Earle were records for two numbers for DeLay's daughter, Danielle DeLay Ferro.
DeLay is facing charges of money laundering and conspiracy in a Texas campaign finance case. The subpoenas list telephone numbers, but not whom they belong to. They ask for information about the calls and the numbers' subscribers, voice mail service, billing information, long distance calls made from or charged to the numbers and special features.
"The thing is no big deal," said Bill White, Austin attorney for DeLay. Earle's office declined comment on the subpoenas. He has said the investigation is continuing.
Earle is seeking the records and information from Sept. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2002, the time period when a political committee founded by DeLay, Texans for a Republican Majority, was raising money for the 2002 election cycle. White said Earle appeared to be trying to find out what kind of contact DeLay had with two associates, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, who also are indicted in the case. "It seems to me he should have been doing it the last three years. Now is a little late to start checking on his evidence," White said.
This is not the first time a subpoena has been issued involving DeLay's daughter, a political consultant. She was subpoenaed in early 2004 to appear before a grand jury and bring records of work she did for TRMPAC. Calls to one number for Ferro seeking comment went to voice mail. A man who answered a second number for her declined comment.
Earle also subpoenaed records from a phone number for Ellis' daughter and for CAD Affiliates, a technology company in a town near Sugar Land, a Houston suburb that is DeLay's hometown. Jacqueline Ellis said she didn't know why her phone records would have been subpoenaed and the fact they had been "kind of freaks me out."
Ed Crowell, owner of CAD Affiliates, said DeLay's campaign office shared a building with him once but his company was not associated with DeLay. He said he was not a contributor and has heard from DeLay only when he gets recorded campaign calls at home. "I've never seen the man. I may have seen him in the grocery store," Crowell said.
DeLay is scheduled to appear Oct. 21 in Austin on the charges.
http://www.freerepublic.com/~flattorney/
We all ready know questions have been raised about Ronnie's drug usage. Can DeLay subpeona Earle's medical records to see if Ronnie has ever been institutionalized?
Earle was too busy making the movie then.
They should add also all Elvis records to get the complete picture of this series violation of recording rights.
THREAD TITLE CORRECTION:
Prosecutor Ronnie Earle Subpoenas Tom DeLay's, & Alleged Related Parties', Phone Records
Earle is on a fishing expedition.
And working with the Texas Democratic party to use Microsoft Word to create forged documents regarding W's ANG service.
Somebody should subpoena Earle's email and phone records.
His picture needs to be in the dictionary by the entry for "malicious prosecution" or perhaps "Ahab-esque"
Wouldn't one normally do an investigation before the indictment?
That may come as DeLay is very interested to see what Democrats in D.C. Earle has been checking in with.
Kind of late in the game to go fishing. Earle must be mighty worried about his weak case.
*****UPDATE*****
10.13.05 - 19:15 EDT
Prosecutors Looking into Tom DeLay's Vehicle Purchase
By Laylan Copelin, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Travis County prosecutors want to know how U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay purchased a 2004 Toyota Sienna, subpoenaing all records surrounding the transaction, plus telephone records from DeLay, his campaign and his daughter.
The prosecutors on Thursday subpoenaed records from Toyota Motor Credit Corp., including purchase agreements, credit documents, receipts, check copies and information on trade-in and down payment.
The subpoenas raise questions about whether prosecutors are expanding the three-year investigation into whether DeLay and his political committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, illegally laundered corporate money into campaign donations during the 2002 election.
DeLay's daughter, Dani DeLay Ferro, did consulting work for Texans for a Republican Majority, mostly organizing the committee's events.
Lawyers for DeLay did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
****More George Soro's Mob News****
Group Seeks Expanded Probe Into DeLay Trip
Oct 13, 3:59 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The private group Common Cause urged the House ethics committee to expand its investigation into a trip that Rep. Tom DeLay made to England and Scotland, to determine if it amounted to a gift in exchange for legislative favors.
The committee also should examine whether the 2000 trip, which included golfing in Scotland, violated House rules because it was primarily recreational, Common Cause president Chellie Pingree wrote committee leaders on Thursday.
DeLay, who recently stepped down as House majority leader after being indicted in Texas on conspiracy and money-laundering charges, has denied that the $70,000 trip was improperly paid for by Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
DeLay, R-Texas, has asked the ethics committee to review his travel after reports that Abramoff or his clients paid some of the travel expenses. House ethics rules bar members or their aides from accepting trips from registered lobbyists.
The Justice Department is investigating Abramoff on separate federal corruption and fraud charges. Common Cause cited a British Home Office document stating that U.S. officials are looking into whether Abramoff "was involved in obtaining legislative assistance from public officials in exchange for arranging and underwriting trips to the U.K."
It said U.S. and British officials have confirmed that DeLay is the "leading congressman" mentioned as being involved in that investigation. The ethics committee does not normally respond to complaints from outside groups. Investigations are launched either after a complaint from a House member or on the committee's own initiative.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DELAY_ETHICS_COMMITTEE?SITE=TXHOU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-10-13-15-59-17
Did I just see a story on FoxNews in the last 24 hours or so that indicated that this same prosecutor has a son who just announced that he will be running for DeLay's seat?
Can anyone say conflict of interest?
Or am I confusing something else?
No he's running for a Austin District House seat.
Jason Earle (Ronnie Earle's son) Announces Campaign For Texas House Seat
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1501258/posts
Time for the DeLay team to jump into this mess and see how many calls earle and/or his office made or got from the DNC, and RAT senators or reps.
Also his movie making is unethical at best in documenting this. This smells like public brainwashing is coming up thru his movies.
The Democrats in Austin are getting nervous about his methods. They may be crazy but they're not stupid.
Thank you - I misunderstood the news report.
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