Westar Energy Bribery Scandal

NEW: Public Citizen Asks Department of Justice to investigate possible bribery of members of Congress, including Tom DeLay, by Westar executives and lobbyists  (12/28/04)

• Rep. Chris Bell's Ethics Complaint Concerning Tom DeLay's Role in the Westar Bribery Scandal (June 2004) [SUMMARY]
• Public Citizen's Letter to House Members (4/07/04)
• The Press Release (4/07/04)
• Public Citizen's Department of Justice Complaint (6/17/03)
• Public Citizen's Original Compliant to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (6/17/03)

Press Releases

• (7/1/03) Public Citizen Seeks Full Disclosure of All Internal Communications Involving Westar Influence-Peddling Scandal
• (6/19/03) U.S. House Members Should Return Ill-Gotten Contributions From Westar

Memos

• Westar Internal Memo Describing Influence Plan
• Westar Internal Memo Outlining Contribution Schedule
• Westar Contribution Patterns

Letters

• Public Citizen writes to Department of Justice, urging investigation of Tom DeLay's involvement in possibly bribery by Westar Energy executives and lobbyists
• Public Citizen Sends Second Letter to Westar's Board of Directors Seeking the Release of More Internal Communications Relating to the Bribery Scandal
• Public Citizen files a complaint with the Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division.
• Public Citizen files a complaint with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Timeline

• Public Citizen's detailed chronology documenting Westar's efforts to allegedly bribe members of Congress in exchange for obtaining an exemption from SEC oversight.

Background Information

• Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA) and John Dingell (D-MI) letter to SEC expressing concern about exemptions from the Investment Company Act (Jan. 30, 2002)
• SEC Response to letter from Reps. Markey & Dingell regarding exemptions from the Investment Company Act (Feb. 13, 2002)
• Testimony of SEC Commissioner Hunt regarding detrimental impact of exemptions from Investment Company Act. See footnote 6, page 8 (of 9) (Dec. 13, 2001)
• SEC Commissioner Hunt testifies again regarding detrimental impact of exemptions from Investment Company Act. See footnote 7, page 9 (of 15). Also, Barton states during the hearing that his broad exemption for holding companies from the Investment Company Act "was put in for a company or companies in the midwest," suggesting that it was for Westar (Feb. 13, 2002). 
• Rep. Markey's motion to strike Westar exemption (Sept. 19, 2002)
• Letter from Rep. Ed Markey describing his unsuccessful efforts to remove the Westar exemption on September 19, 2002
• Westar delivers $25,000 to Rep. Tom DeLay's Texans for Republican Majority PAC in May 2002 after Westar executive Doug Lawrence mentions the contribution in internal memos
• House energy conference committee transcript of debate on Rep. Ed Markey's attempt to remove Westar's special exemption. September 19, 2002