Judicial Watch

Apr 03, 2001 – Peter Yost of the Associated Press reported that the then House Republican Whip, Tom DeLay, promised meetings with top Bush officials to small business owners who donated money upwards to $20,000. These donations were to underwrite a GOP campaign advertisement promoting the president’s tax plan.
Apr 04, 2001 – Judicial Watch in a letter to DeLay requests verification of the AP report and if true, that DeLay cease and desist. View letter.
Apr 05, 2001 – Congressman DeLay’s attorney responds that DeLay makes every effort to comply with the law and suggests JW contact NRCC if it has questions about its fundraising practices. View letter and JW’s response.
Apr 10, 2001 – JW files ethics complaints with the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, U.S. House of Representatives, Federal Election Commission and the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department.
Jul 30, 2001 – In a letter from the Chief of the Public Integrity Section, Department of Justice states it will not investigate the NRCC, NRSC, Delay and others.
Aug 21, 2001 – Judicial Watch sues the Federal Election Commission over its failure to investigate. Under the law the FEC has 120 days after receiving a complaint to take action. The FEC did nothing.
Mar 06, 2002 – Judicial Watch obtained fundraising solicitations from NRCC which showed the NRCC has not changed it ways. The solicitation offered access to top Bush Administration officials for a “special briefing on Homeland Security and National Defense” during a March 13 to March 14, 2002 donor event.
- View Complaint to the FEC, FBI and Department of Justice requesting an investigation into the 2002 National Republican Congressional Committee “Economic Recovery Workshop.”
- View solicitations
Mar 17, 2004 – The House Committee of Official Conduct voted to conduct an formal inquiry regarding alleged attempts to bribe Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI). View House Committee Statement.
Jun 08, 2004 – Rep. Chris Bell (D-TX) filed a complaint with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct regarding the conduct of House Majority Leader Tom Delay. The complaint charges that Mr. DeLay violated the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the federal bribery statute and Texas finance laws. View complaint.
Sep 16, 2004 – House tries to bury DeLay Ethics Complaint. View Coalition statement.
Sep 22, 2004 – Texas Indictments Make Delay Ethics Investigation More Urgent. View Coalition statement.
Sep 28, 2004 – Judicial Watch Calls on House Ethics Panel’s Mollohan to Recuse Himself from Ethics Probe of Delay. Read More.
Sep 30, 2004 – House Ethics Committee formally admonished House Majority Leader Tom DeLay for offering a political favor to a Republican colleague in return for the representative’s vote.
- View Coalition Press Release
- View U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official Conduct report on “Investigation of Certain Allegations Related to Voting on the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003."
Oct 06, 2004 – "House Majority Leader Should Step Down Over Ethics Lapse." Read more.
Oct 07, 2004 – Judicial Watch urges Rep. Delay to resign from Congress. Read more.
Jan 03, 2005 - Coalition rejects potential rule changes that would cripple the already weak ethics oversight process in the House of Representatives. The Coalition also urges House Leaders not to retaliate against sitting members of the House Ethics Committee for their recent admonishment of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) for three instances of ethical impropriety.

Sept 29, 2005 - Judicial Watch statement on DeLay indictment.