Looks as if Abramoff shuffled millions from Russian oil & gas interests into a phony charity that had Tom DeLay’s wife on its payroll. What she didn’t siphon off got siphoned off by various GOP operatives or went to pay for “independent expenditure” campaign ads.
Russian money in DeLay’s pocket, courtesy of Abramoff? DeLay as Majority Leader carrying water for the Russian government?
With Putin busy re-establishing a dictatorship in Russia and threatening the independence of the countries that broke away from the Soviet Union, I don’t think this will play well, either with independents or with the Republican base.
And with Abramoff reportedly set to sing like a canary, we’re likely to learn lots of juicy details. (Hat tip: Fired-Up America, Crooks and Liars)
It’s well past time to break the “ethics truce” and demand hearings on a resolution of expulsion.
Author: Mark Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out.
Books:
Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken)
When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist
Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993)
Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989)
UCLA Homepage
Curriculum Vitae
Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com
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