The Ships A Going Down

© 2006 Com•Log•ic

The Ships A Going Down

Apparently, Alexander Strategy Group, which had thrived since its founding in 1998 thanks largely to its close connections to DeLay (R-Tex.), will cease to operate except for a relatively small business-development division, Edwin A. Buckham, the former chief of staff of DeLay's who owns the company.
ASG employed DeLay's wife, Christine, for four years which she earned $115,000. ASG benefited by working closely with Abramoff. Abramoff's plea agreement mentioned his close ties to Tony C. Rudy, one of Buckham's colleagues at ASG.
Rudy, a former DeLay aide, worked for Abramoff before joining ASG. According to the plea document, a political consulting firm run by Rudy's wife allegedly received $50,000 in exchange for official actions Rudy took while working for DeLay.
The end of DeLay's leadership role was a major blow to the lobbying firm. Former DeLay associates have said that ASG and Buckham were key gatekeepers for DeLay with outsiders including lobbyists and their corporate clients.
ASG, based in Georgetown, lobbies for an A-list of about 70 companies and organizations, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Microsoft, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. ASG ranked No. 21 on National Journal's 2005 lobbying list with $8 million in revenue, a 34 percent jump over the previous year.
Financial disclosure forms show that ASG employed Christine DeLay from 1998 to 2002. Lobby filings also show that Buckham hired Julie Doolittle, wife of Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.), to do bookkeeping for a nonprofit group he created called the Korea-U.S. Exchange Council.
Rudy went on two luxury trips with the lobbyist, including one partly paid for by Abramoff's client, eLottery Inc., a gambling services company. Abramoff also arranged for eLottery to pay $25,000 to a Jewish foundation that hired Rudy's wife as a consultant, according to documents and interviews. Months later, Abramoff also hired Rudy as a 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.

But of course no one has done anything WRONG!
And all the investigations are being conducted by Democrats, because they have soooo much power.
This is a Repub Scandal, and they need to accept responsibility for their actions. But if they cannot accept responsibility, then I guess they will be exposed for the crooks they are, and therefore will appear more desperate.

This link is for the Lobby Firm Is Scandal Casualty
Washington Post
The DeLay-Abramoff Money Trail
Washington Post