Ethics probe of DeLay sought

From the Houston Chronicle:

Under House rules, only a member can file an ethics complaint against another member. In seven years, there has been little activity in House ethics investigations, said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

"I think this filing will really push the ethics committee to take a hard look at this," said Sloan, a federal prosecutor who worked with Bell in drafting the complaint. "When no one has been willing to do this for seven years, it is not an easy thing to suddenly go and file a complaint against DeLay, who is known to be one of the most vindictive people in government."

And

Burns declined to provide the document until it is filed and would only confirm that the complaint is in the works. However, two people who have seen the complaint say it will allege, among other things, that DeLay:

· Improperly accepted campaign contributions from Kansas-based Westar Energy Corp. in exchange for help securing a special exemption from federal regulation.

· Funneled illegal corporate contributions, including from Westar and others, through the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee to GOP candidates for the Texas House.

· Solicited the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration to track more than 50 Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled from Austin to Ardmore, Okla., in 2003. Their exodus denied the state House a quorum and temporarily stalled work on the DeLay-backed redistricting program.

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Heh, heh, heh...nothing would please me more than to see Tom DeLay disgraced and out of power. This ethics charge is really a long time in the making. The whole Westar/Texas redistricting thing has been known about for at least a year. DeLay, if his ruthless career is any indicator, will probably manage to slither his way out of this, but it'll be nice to watch the Republican dominated House ethics committe squirming like worms while trying to protect their lizard king. Pass the popcorn; this is going to be fun.

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