De Trouble Continues For DeLay

Ahhh, the North Mariana Islands. Now a Republican committee chair and the ranking Democrat want the Justice Department to take a closer look. We're betting this is the one that takes him down. NYTimes (07.06.05):

"Criminal investigators at the Justice Department have been asked by a House committee to consider broadening their corruption investigation of a Washington lobbyist whose ties to Tom DeLay, the House Republican leader, and other prominent lawmakers are the subject of inquiries throughout the government, Congressional officials disclosed on Tuesday. The letter, dated June 30, cited a flurry of accusations of wrongdoing involving Mr. Abramoff's multimillion-dollar lobbying on behalf of the Northern Mariana Islands, a small American commonwealth in the Pacific, and said that 'any allegations of criminal matters of this sort are best addressed to the Department of Justice.'" Justice Department Is Asked to Widen Inquiry of Lobbyist

"The letter, from Richard W. Pombo (R - CA11), the California Republican who is chairman of the Resources Committee, and Nick J. Rahall II (D - WV3), of West Virginia, the panel's ranking Democrat, is the first known request by a Congressional committee for prosecutors to review accusations of criminal conduct in the lobbying activities of Mr. Abramoff, who was one of the most powerful and best-paid Republican lobbyists in Washington." "On a trip to the islands with Mr. Abramoff in 1997, Mr. DeLay told a meeting of local officials that the lobbyist was among 'my closest and dearest friends' and promised to continue to defend the islands' interests in Congress. Mr. Abramoff's billing records show that he frequently met with Mr. DeLay and his top aides to discuss the Northern Marianas. In a 2001 e-mail message to the islands' general counsel, Mr. Abramoff described Mr. DeLay as 'our biggest supporter on Capitol Hill.'" So what's the big deal about Tom DeLay and the Marianas? Aye, say no more. AP (04.28.05):

"Over two years, Rep. Tom DeLay had at least two dozen discussions with a lobbyist working to keep a U.S. territory's factories free from new labor laws. The lobbyist contributed to the House leader's campaigns and arranged travel for him. Records show that DeLay's staff spoke with the lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, or his team almost daily during this period. DeLay's office kept Abramoff, now under criminal investigation, routinely apprised of congressional efforts to block new regulations on his client, the Northern Mariana Islands." DeLay's help sought in blocking labor rules