Lobbyist's Credit Card Bill Outs DeLay Trip

[Judi Lynn]

Lobbyist's Credit Card Bill Outs DeLay Trip
Delay's Trip to Golf Resort Paid for by Abramoff

March 2, 2006 — The paper trail seems so obvious it makes you wonder whether anyone ever worried about getting caught. When Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and his wife flew from Houston to a golf resort in Scotland in June 2000, the first-class airfare cost $14,001, a big-ticket item for a public servant. But someone else paid.

The American Express bills of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges in January, show he footed the bill for the tickets, in an apparent violation of House ethics rules.
(snip)

DeLay's attorney told The Washington Post last year that DeLay was unaware of the "logistics" of bill payments and did not believe Abramoff paid for the tickets.

"This is a classic example of why the ethics rules have to be reformed," said Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21, a nonprofit watchdog group. "The Scotland trip was a trip to play golf, pure and simple, and private interests should not be allowed to finance those kinds of trips and gain influence with members in return."
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1679189&page=1

[I_Make_Mistakes]

1. They have the House, Senate, SC and WH why would they worry.

And lets not forget that compromise both parties made about ethics charges. They know that Dem's are not evil, like them, and try to play by the rules, not like them, why would they think there would be a problem?

[Eugene]

2. So who did think was footing the bill, the travel fairy?

The related ABC News video shows Abramoff greeting Delay
on the Marianas trip. The ignorance excuse won't wash.

Besides, if Delay didn't know how much his junkets cost and
who is paying for them then he just doesn't understand the job
of a modern politician.