Introduction
Actions Similar to DeLay’s Disputed Transactions
- At least 30 other members of Congress have accepted a total of $7.8 million in corporate donations to their leadership 527 committees since 2000, a Center analysis has found. These organizations transferred $3.5 million to national party committees, which later gave $14 million to candidates in state elections.
- The use of these corporate donations took place on both sides of the congressional aisle, with 13 Democrats and 18 Republicans making similar transactions until the 2002 election, when a federal law went into effect forbidding federal lawmakers to have 527 organizations.
- Some of the corporate donors that gave the most money to these congressional leadership 527s include: AT&T with $716,000 in contributions; SBC Corp. with $698,000; and Philip Morris (now Altria) with $486,000.
- While Texas is one of 23 states that prohibits the use of such corporate donations to candidates in state elections, 27 states allow some use of corporate funds in state races.
- Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who has temporarily replaced Tom DeLay as House majority leader, accepted more than $1 million in contributions from corporations to his organization Rely On Your Beliefs Fund. Missouri allows corporate donations to state candidates, political action committees and parties. Blunt’s 527 sent only a small amount of money to a national party committee, but sent $661,000 directly to the Missouri Republican State Committee.
- The Center also has found that another DeLay 527, Americans for a Republican Majority Non-Federal Account, has received more than $1.7 million in corporate money and made almost $250,000 in transfers to national party committees.
More Activity by Companies named in the DeLay Indictment
- The Center’s study found that many of the same companies named in the DeLay indictment also made large donations to leadership 527s run by other members of Congress. A total of 12 legislators accepted more than $300,000 from four of these same six companies.
- Blunt has received contributions from four of the same companies implicated in the DeLay indictment: Diversified Collection Services Inc. ($50,000); Bacardi U.S.A. Inc. ($5,000); Sears, Roebuck and Co. ($4,000); and Cornell Companies Inc. ($5,000).
- DeLay accepted another $50,000 from these companies to another 527 he ran, Americans for a Republican Majority Non-Federal Account. The donations included $25,000 from Sears Roebuck and Co.; $20,000 from Bacardi USA Inc.; and $5,000 from Diversified Collection Services Inc. These transactions and this 527 group were not named in the first indictment.
Members of Congress who accepted corporate donations to leadership 527s and subsequently transferred funds to national parties
Corporate Money Accepted | Member of Congress | Name of Congressional 527 Fund | Transferred to National Parties |
$462,450 | Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. | Glacier PAC non-federal | $57,500 |
$1,110,361 | Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. | Rely On Your Beliefs Fund | $800 |
$36,500 | Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas | American Dream PAC | $10,000 |
$107,500 | Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. | Friends of the Big Sky Non-Federal Account | $30,000 |
$6,500 | Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. | HillPAC-NY | $75,000 |
$103,009 | Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. | DAKPAC-non-federal Account | $40,000 |
$37,000 | Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif. | American Prosperity PAC State Fund | $25,000 |
$1,666,092 | Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas | Americans for a Republican Majority Non-Federal Account | $249,760 |
$59,500 | Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. | Pete’s PAC Non-Federal Account | $10,000 |
$126,000 | Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. | Great Plains Leadership Fund-non-federal | $125,767 |
$32,000 | Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif. | American Success PAC Non-Federal Account | $63,000 |
$268,000 | Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. | Volunteer PAC – Non Federal | $490,000 |
$31,200 | Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. | Sandhills PAC Non-Federal Account | $10,000 |
$602,765 | House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. | KOMPAC State Victory Fund | $10,233 |
$18,500 | Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. | Fund for a Conservative Future Non-Federal Account | $42,000 |
$37,000 | Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I. | Rhode Island Political Action Committee Non-Federal | $100,000 |
$552 | Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. | Committee for a Democratic Majority | $40,000 |
$285,500 | Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. | Citizen Soldier Fund – non-federal Account | $120,000 |
$443,747 | Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. | New Republican Majority Fund – State PAC | $545,491 |
$51,100 | Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. | Committee for Leadership and Progress-VA | $66,214 |
$52,500 | Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. | M-PAC – non-federal Account | $30,000 |
$46,500 | Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio | Promoting Republicans You Can Elect PAC Non-Federal Account | $7,000 |
$524,300 | Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. | National Leadership PAC-non-federal | $186,250 |
$1,079,652 | Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev. | Searchlight Leadership Fund NonFed | $530,728 |
$303,000 | Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. | America’s Foundation Non-Federal Account | $500,000 |
$45,200 | Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas | People for Enterprise, Trade and Economic Growth | $50,000 |
$110,107 | Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska | Northern Lights PAC-Non-Federal Account | $27,500 |
$24,847 | Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif. | Victory in November Election PAC – non-federal Acct | $22,000 |
$88,500 | Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa. | Committee for a United Republican Team – Non Federal | $5,000 |
$24,000 | Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. | Carolina Majority PAC | $27,510 |
$48,000 | Rep. David Wu, D-Ore. | Education and Opportunity Fund | $10,000 |
Former members of Congress who accepted corporate donations to leadership 527s and subsequently transferred funds to national parties
Corporate Money Accepted | Member of Congress | Name of Congressional 527 Fund | Amount Transferred to National Parties |
$909,800.00 | former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. | DASHPAC – non-federal Account | $640,000.00 |
$284,511.74 | former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas | Freedom Works Non-Federal PAC | $161,000.00 |
$300 | former Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Mich. | Fund for American Opportunity | $7,500.00 |
$13,250.00 | former Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif. | Great American Patriots PAC Non-Federal Account | $5,000.00 |
$44,097.50 | former Rep. Chris John, D-La. | GUMBO PAC Non Federal Account | $12,211.94 |
$657,375.50 | former Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas | Lone Star Fund – non-federal Account | $85,233.25 |
$551,000.00 | former Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla. | Republican Majority Fund Non-Federal Account | $440,000.00 |
$63,864.00 | former Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif. | Superior California Leadership Fund – State | $3,786.00 |
$297,314 | former Sen. John Breaux, D-La. | Mainstream America Political Action Committee | $95,000 |
$121,989 | former Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C. | Citizens for a Competitive America | $25,000 |
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