skippy the bush kangaroo

Saturday, December 31, 2005

what’s the word we’re looking for – bribery?

remember the clinton years? remember fred thompson’s investigation of chinese contributions to us presidential and congressional election campaigns. remember the outrage? even joe lieberman condemned it [we know, your shocked]. not to mention david horowitz. well guess what, tom delay’s been taking the red ruble since 1998 through a front group he set called the u.s family network.

the delay-abramoff money trail - nonprofit group linked to lawmaker was funded mostly by clients of lobbyist - the former president of the u.s. family network said buckham told him that russians contributed $1 million to the group in 1998 specifically to influence delay's vote on legislation the international monetary fund needed to finance a bailout of the collapsing russian economy.

as wapo points out, the contribution per se was not illegal (which is why the chinese contribution stories never went anywhere). but we think that paying a contribution to a fake advocacy group controlled by a politician in order to get that politician’s vote is. look under 18 u.s.c. 201.

whoever:
(4) directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives,
accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value
personally or for any other person or entity in return for being
influenced in testimony under oath or affirmation as a witness
upon any such trial, hearing, or other proceeding, or in return
for absenting himself therefrom;
shall be fined under this title or not more than three times
the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is
greater, or imprisoned for not more than fifteen years, or both,
and may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust,
or profit under the united states.

we can't wait to hear jo-mentum chime in.
posted by Pudentilla at 4:49 AM |

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