He works hard for the money…
As reported in the Houston Chronicle, Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) raised approximately $500,000 – more than a third of his current campaign warchest of $1.4 million – in the six weeks before he announced his pending resignation from Congress.
DeLay can use the money for a number of purposes, including adding it to his legal defense fund – see our previous blog – for which he has already separately raised more than $2 million since 2000. (Goodness, now how would he have guessed way back in 2000 that he would need a legal defense fund??)
Remarkably enough, DeLay’s campaign website was still soliciting campaign contributions as of yesterday, with the statement "To continue to win, I need your help and your most generous contribution today" incongruously posted along with his resignation statement.
Some of those recent contributors quoted in the article claim they have no problem with DeLay using the money as he sees fit. While he will indeed have plenty of legal expenses on his hands, with a pending trial on money laundering charges in Texas and the federal Abramoff investigation still unfolding, is it possible that some contributors still expect to buy some favors from DeLay in his next political reincarnation – after jail if necessary?
-Gordon Clark