In early October MoveOn had a campaign for people to ask their Representatives to return contributions they had received from the DeLay-affiliated ARM-PAC.
I called my Rep., Charles Dent (R-PA-15), whose assistant said I would receive a letter explaining his position on the money he got from Delay's PAC. Yesterday I got a letter from him (copied below). He never actually answers my question (are you going to return the money?), though the implication is NO. But what concerns me is that Dent suggests there was a grand jury that refused to indict DeLay.
See below.
Dent writes ". . . one of the grand juries empaneled in the DeLay matter refused to indict on the District Attorney's allegations. Thereafter, this Travis County (Texas) prosecutor brought an additional charge before a new panel. . . ."
Does anyone know if this is true? I thought the first grand jury indicted DeLay (conspiring to violate state campaign finance laws), and then the second also indicted him (money laundering). Was there an earlier grand jury that refused to indict him?
At least one Rep. did return money received from ARM-PAC, Jeb Bradley (R-NH), who said that he was returning the money "to remove any question about the nature of the contribution," even thought the PAC that gave him the money isn't under investigation.
[On a side note, however, I was pleased to see that Mr. Dent prints his letterhead on only one side of the paper. A letter I got from Rick Santorum a month or so ago (explaining why he supported the flag "desecration" amendment) was disturbing. The letterhead was printed on both sides. Worried, perhaps, about the stationary being put in the printer upside down? Very strange.]
NOTE: I transcribed the letter accurately. The incorrect punctuation, occasionally shoddy writing style, and the outright bungle in the middle of the first sentence are the responsibility of Mr. Dent and/or his assistant. The emphasis is mine.
The letter is dated October 20th, 2005, the day after Delay's arrest warrant.
Thank you very much for contacting me requesting that I call for me to return any campaign contributions I may have received from Representative Tom DeLay. As you may know a stealthy, nefarious organization, which refuses to identify itself, is making automated phone calls about me and other Members of Congress on this issue. I appreciate the time you have taken to share your concerns with me on this matter.
First, I have never received any money directly from Mr. DeLay. I have received some campaign contributions from ARM-PAC, an organization with which Mr. DeLay has been affiliated. This organization, like those run by corporations, labor unions and financiers like George Soros, is a political action committee that donates to candidates of its own choosing, a right that is protected under the Constitution and federal statute. Further, this organization, ARM-PAC, has been in no way implicated in any of the allegations that were put before the grand juries in Texas that returned indictments against Mr. DeLay.
Further, an indictment is, of course, only an accusation. It is not proof nor even evidence of guilt. In addition, one of the grand juries empaneled in the DeLay matter refused to indict on the District Attorney's allegations. Thereafter, this Travis County (Texas) prosecutor brought an additional charge before a new panel, but there are some questions arising from that indictment that must be resolved by the Texas courts. For instance, there is an allegation that the prosecutor's office allegedly utilized improper evidence and procedures in its efforts to secure that new indictment. This allegation is the subject of Mr. DeLay's motion to quash the indictment based on prosecutorial misconduct that must at some point be resolved.
The point of all this is not to engage you in a discussion of the merits of the case, but instead to urge you and others, interested in the DeLay matter to let justice take its course here. Even if the defense does not prevail on this motion to quash, there is still the issue of a trial. I respect the Constitutionally-mandated presumption of innocence in this case, and I have confidence that a Travis County jury or judge sitting as a finder of fact will get to the bottom of this matter and ferret out the truth.
Thank you for contacting me regarding Mr. DeLay. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments on this or any other federal issue.
With best wishes,
Sincerely,
Charles W. Dent
Member of Congress