Minnesota's Own Tom DeLay!

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Wednesday October 12, 2005 · 6:42 PM PDT

2005/10/12 · 18:42

Dear Fellow Kossacks:

Have you got addicted to the outflow of the recent burst of the Republican Sleaze Dam? Are you jonesing for a GOP Perp Fix while you wait for Patrick Fitzgerald to start issuing warrants?

Here's a little tidbit to tide you over, courtesy of the Minnesota Republican Party! (More on the flip.)

Here's The Next Best Thing To Tom DeLay's Standing Trial:

A Minnesota Tom DeLay Clone Standing Trial!

Yessiree Bob, our very own Tom DeLay, former State GOP Chair Ron Eibensteiner, is going to stand trial next month of campaign-finance charges an awful lot like Hot Tub's.

Here's a tidbit from the above link. It's from the 10/08/05 Minneapolis StarTribune:

Eibensteiner is accused of aiding and abetting illegal campaign contributions from American Bankers Insurance Co., a Florida company that has acknowledged it wanted to defeat Independence Party candidate Tim Penny in the 2002 governor's race.
Penny's defeat was expected to result in the departure of Commerce Commissioner Jim Bernstein, who was appointed by former IP Gov. Jesse Ventura. Bernstein was aggressively pursuing large fines against the company.
Company officials donated $15,000 each to the national funds of the Republican and Democratic parties. State officials for both major parties said that they forwarded the money to the national party units and that the money was not spent in Minnesota.
[...]
The difference is that Eibensteiner sent a letter to lobbyist Ron Jerich thanking him for helping arrange the company's donation.
The letter, which prosecutors liken to a smoking gun, stated that the party planned to spend $1.5 million to elect Republican candidate Tim Pawlenty, adding that "your contribution will help us accomplish our budget goal."
Eibensteiner declined to comment but his lawyer, Bill Mauzy, said the note was part of a form letter that gives a mistaken impression. "The form letter should have been changed because it incorrectly implies that the money was going to be used in Minnesota," he said.
Eibensteiner has told investigators that he never talked to American Bankers officials and never solicited any contributions from them.
The company has agreed to pay $1 million to have charges dropped against it and two of its executives, although they admitted no wrongdoing.

Pass the popcorn!

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