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Making an Impact
The suit, filed against Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott... accuses Abbott of targeting minority voters in his prosecution of the provisions in a "deliberate campaign to suppress the minority vote."...
The group behind the lawsuit is the Lone Star Project
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/22/2006)
The Democrats at the Lone Star Project say U.S. Attorney General Al Gonzales and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in San Antonio blew their chance to bring justice to the Texas Youth Commission sexual abuse case.
(Houston Chronicle Blog, 3/15/2007)
David Dewhurst has said most Texans don't have much sympathy "for someone who that can't fill out a two page [health insurance] application every six months".
The Democrat-supported Lone Star Project in Washington reported this week that Dewhurst failed to file necessary forms at least six times in recent years.
(San Antonio Expres News,, 4/12/2007)
The Justice staff memo was obtained by the Lone Star Project ...The story broke the same day the U.S. Supreme Court was considering legal challenges to the plan brought by Democrats and minority groups.
(Houston Chronicle, 12/3/2005)
The Texas chapter of the NAACP, along with the Lone Star Project, have analyzed the amicus brief filed by the Justice Department and have concluded, justifiably, that the Voting Rights section of the Justice Department is now controlled by partisan political appointees.
(Roll Call - Donna Brazile, 2/28/2006)
Using the Lone Star Project as an information clearinghouse for all things DeLay. The organization "particularly became relevant as the unethical activities of Tom DeLay came more to light."
(The Fix – Washington Post,3/6/2006)
What's more, the relevant 73-page memo "has been kept under tight wraps" since then. That memo is now publicly available, here in PDF at the Lone Star Project.
(Hotline, 12/2/2005)
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(202) 547-7610 - Fax
(202)547-8258
March 23, 2006
Contact: Matt
Angle
On the web at www.LoneStarProject.net
Strayhorn Has Not Stopped Payments to All Washington
DC Lobbyists
Texas Payments to Lobbyist with Ties to
Strayhorn and DeLay Continue
Texas Comptroller Carol Strayhorn's
decision to suspend payments to the Washington Lobby firm of Cassidy and
Associates may, on first blush, seem like a timely and responsible act.
However, upon closer examination, Strayhorn's actions appear to have stopped far
short of halting improper payments to lobbyists and raise questions about her
own close relationship with Washington lobbyists who have political ties to Tom
DeLay.
Strayhorn Statement Inconsistent With Her
Actions
In her statement announcing the payment suspension,
Strayhorn said, "Texas state law clearly prohibits tax dollars being
spent to lobby the state legislature and prohibits spending for influencing or
supporting candidates at the state or federal level. By any
measure, using tax dollars to pay a private firm to lobby the federal government
or members of Congress is a wholly inappropriate and unwise use of public
money." (Strayhorn Press Release, 3/22/06) However, Strayhorn
is still allowing large lobby payments to the DC based Federalist Group to
continue.
- Cassidy and Associates is
only one of the Washington based lobby firms that were
awarded lucrative contracts by Rick Perry, after he fired 10 staff members at
the Texas Office of State and Federal Relations. (Source: The
Houston Chronicle, 1/26/2006)
- $15,000 monthly payments continue
to be made to the Federalist Group, a Washington Lobby firm with direct ties to
Tom DeLay.
- At least one Federalist Group
associate contributed to the Strayhorn campaign in past election cycles.
(Source: Texas Ethics Commission)
- The Federalist Group will have
received $540,000 in state funds by the end of this month, more than any other
Washington lobby group. (Source: The Houston Chronicle 5/09/2003)
Strayhorn
Ignored Lobby Group That Donates Generously to Republicans -including Strayhorn
Campaign
- At least one of Maloney's
Federalist Group partners, Wayne Berman, contributed $5,000 to the Strayhorn
campaign on October 19, 2002. (Source: Texas Ethics Commission)
- The Lone Star Project disclosed in
a report issued on November 18,
2005 that former Tom DeLay
senior staff member Drew Maloney, who leads the Federalist Group's Texas lobby
effort from Washington, has contributed over $6,500 directly to DeLay and
$22,750 to Texas Republican Congressmen since the contract was signed. Other
associates at the Federalist Group have added thousands of dollars to Texas
Republican's campaign accounts. (Source: Houston Chronicle
1/19/2006 and Federal Election Commission)
- Drew Maloney gave no money to
Texas Democrats (Source: Federal Election Commission)
- Maloney joined other Federalist
Group members in sponsoring a Washington, DC fundraising event for DeLay on
November 17, 2005. (Source: Roll Call, 11/17/2005)
Drew Maloney
Contributions to Texas Congressman
Beginning March
2003
GOP Congressmen
|
Amount |
|
Joe Barton |
$3,000
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Michael Burgess |
$1,500
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John Carter |
$2,000
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Mike Conaway |
$500
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John Culberson |
$1,500
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Tom
DeLay |
$6,500
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Louis B
Gohmert |
$250
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Jeb Hensarling |
$1,000
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Michael McCaul |
$500
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Randy Neugebauer |
$2,750
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Pete Sessions |
$3,250
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|
Total |
$22,750
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Roundup
Rick Perry's improper state payments to
Washington lobbyists have been the subject of controversy for nearly a
year. Democratic State House Leader Jim Dunnam attempted to halt the
payments and instead use the funds to assist Texas Veterans, but was blocked by
Tom Craddick and the Republican majority in the House. (Source: The Houston
Chronicle 4/07/2005) Dunnam also raised questions about the improper
ties of both Drew Maloney with the Federalist Group and Todd Boulanger with
Cassidy and Associates late last year. (Source: The Houston Chronicle,
1/26/2006) Only now, while in the midst of a political campaign, has Carol
Strayhorn raised any objection to the use of State funds for Washington, DC
lobbyists. |
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