Well. Isn't this interesting.
LANSING-In light of yesterday's criminal indictment against House GOP Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on a charge of conspiracy to illegally use soft money, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer reminded Michigan voters of the connection between DeLay and Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos. Both Republicans have abused soft money political contributions and both have given each other thousands of dollars over the years to support their political ambitions.
"Republicans from Washington D.C. to Michigan continue to put politics before policy," said Brewer. "The report on DeVos' soft money and corporate tax loophole and Tom DeLay's indictment are the latest examples of what's become the Republican culture of corruption."
DeLay's soft money indictment comes as DeVos refuses to explain reports on the tax loophole inserted into the 1997 budget bill which benefited Amway nearly $300 million. Amway's tax giveaway occurred while Dick DeVos was president of the company and after Amway and the DeVos family had given millions of dollars in soft money to various Republican groups during the 1990's.
DeVos and his Political Action Committee (PAC), Restoring the American Dream have exchanged thousands of dollars with DeLay, his campaign committee and his PAC, Americans for a Republican Majority. DeVos gave the Tom DeLay Congressional Committee $1,000 in 2000 and gave DeLay's PAC $5,000 in 1999. DeLay's PAC in turn gave DeVos' PAC $5,000 over the course of two weeks in the fall of 2000.
Perhaps this needs to be investigated a bit further, yes? It's a loose connection, but, hey, it works for me. Glad to see the MDP get on the "culture of corruption" bandwagon.
Let's Googlebomb "culture of corruption", shall we?