Rep. Tom Price of GA

[Debau2005]

I just received this email from Moveon.org. If you live in Tom Price's district please call his office.



Dear MoveOn member,
Yesterday a second grand jury in Texas indicted Republican Leader Tom DeLay on a new set of charges. This time it was money laundering related to a campaign finance scheme (last week's charge was conspiracy related to the same crime). DeLay's fundraising has benefited hundreds of Republican members of Congress—and they're mostly holding onto the money he raised for them even though it may be tainted. So far, only one member of Congress, Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-NH), has returned the money from Tom DeLay's PAC because he wanted to “remove any question about the nature of the contribution.”1

Your representative, Rep. Price, received $10,000 from Tom DeLay's fundraising PAC.2 Will you call Rep. Price and ask him to return the money?

Here is what you need to know to make the call.


Congressman Tom Price
Phone: [phone]


Tell the staff member who answers that you are a constituent and something like the following.

I heard that Rep. Price took money from Republican leader Tom DeLay's PAC. I urge him to return the money in order to remove any question about the nature of the contribution. Associations with Tom DeLay create the appearance of corruption in our elected officials. I would like him to return the money and please send me a letter explaining his position on this issue.

We encourage you to speak from your heart about this issue when you call—don't feel bound by our suggested script. The person answering the phones should ask for your name and address so they can send you the letter.

After you make your call, click on the link below to let us know how your call went and help us keep a tally of the number of calls made.

http://political.moveon.org/call?tg=FHGA_06&cp_id=103&id=6081-6443149-JPldd42LB0YzElPYC8StYQ&t=1

Your call today is an important way to keep the pressure on members of Congress. This week they are deciding whether they continue to circle the wagons and protect DeLay. Tom DeLay's permanent removal from the Republican leadership would send an important message to the American people about the corruption that infests Republican leaders in Washington.

Among his offenses, Tom DeLay3:

Used corporate money given to his PAC to finance Texas campaigns in violation of state law (latest indictment).

Accepted trips from corporations and later helped kill legislation they opposed.

Accepted trips from the lobbyist for a foreign government in violation of House rules.

Paid family members more than $500,000 out of campaign contributions.

Helped sweatshops in the Mariana Islands at the behest of a lobbyist.

Promised a role in drafting legislation to a corporate donor.

Tried to coerce a Congressman for a vote on Medicare.

Used Homeland Security resources in a dispute with Democrats in Texas.

Diverted funds from a children's charity for lavish celebrations at the Republican convention.

Threatened retaliation against interest groups that don't support Republicans.

Stacked the House Ethics Committee with representatives who have contributed to his legal defense fund.

Crippled the effectiveness of the House Ethics Committee by purging members who had rebuked him.

Pushed for a rules change for the House Ethics process that paralyzed the panel.

Sought a rule change that would have no longer "required leaders to step aside temporarily if indicted."
Members of Congress should disassociate themselves from this corruption. Please make a call today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Tom, Joan, Matt, Tanya and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Tuesday, October 4th, 2005

P.S. Earlier this year, MoveOn members played an important role in making sure the rules weren't changed to protect Tom DeLay and in telling a story about the connections between DeLay's corruption and other Republican representatives in Congress.

Last December, MoveOn members called their members of Congress to insist they keep in place the ethics rule that forced DeLay to step down after he was indicted. DeLay had tried to rewrite the rules in order to protect himself—but a successful pushback forced DeLay and the Republicans to keep the rule in place.

In June, more than 2,400 volunteers for MoveOn.org Political Action delivered petitions to 195 congressional offices—more than 470,000 folks signed the petition calling on Congress to fire Tom DeLay from his leadership post.

MoveOn members contributed for radio ads in the congressional districts of Republicans who will have close elections next year. The ads pointed out the connections between DeLay and the local representative—money that DeLay raised or contributed to the representative's campaign fund.

The work of many MoveOn members forced Republican representatives to make public statements of support for DeLay. Those statements make it clear to constituents that their representative was tolerating DeLay's corruption all along.
Sources

1. “Bradley to Return Money from DeLay's PAC” Associated Press, Sept. 29, 2005.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=951

2. Public Campaign Action Fund compiled from Federal Election Commission Data.
http://www.InDeLaysPocket.com/

3. “DeLay's (Baker's) Dozen.” ThinkProgress.org
http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=430

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Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.