Americans for a Republican Majority

Americans for a Republican Majority (also ARMPAC) was a political action committee formed by former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and directed by Karl Gallant. On July 7, 2006 ARMPAC reached an agreement with the Federal Election Commission to pay a fine of $115,000 for various violations and to shut down operations. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/20/AR2006072000843.html PAC Tied to DeLay Is Fined, Shutting Down] , AP, July 20, 2006] It filed its termination papers on April 24, 2007. [http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/05/delays_pac_closes_shop.html DeLay's PAC closes shop] , washingtonpost.com, May 1, 2007]

History

Originally formed by Tom DeLay (R-Texas), Jim Ellis and several of close associates, ARMPAC was created with the goal of electing a Republican majority in the United States Congress for the 2000 elections. The millions of dollars ARMPAC raised were responsible for the success of many Republican candidates, officeholders, and PACs nationwide. cite book
last = Bickerstaff
first = Steve
title = Lines in the Sand: congressional redistricting in Texas and the downfall of Tom DeLay
publisher = University of Texas Press
year = 2007
pages = 47
id = 0292714742]

Enron hosted ARMPAC's first fundraiser. It was held in Enron's hometown of Houston, Texas and raised $280,000. Subsequent disclosures show that Enron and its executives gave early and often. Ken Lay contributed $50,000 to ARMPAC, and Enron Vice Chairman, Joseph Sutton, contributed another $25,000. The full extent of Enron's financial support for ARMPAC may never be known since reporting such contributions became mandatory only in 2000. [http://www.alternet.org/story/28891/]

ARMPAC was housed in the same Washington, D.C. townhouse and shared many of the same former DeLay staffers as Alexander Strategy Group and U.S. Family Network, [http://www.theocracywatch.org/delay_team_new_republic_june20_05.htm] two organizations that closed as part of the scandals surrounding Jack Abramoff.

An FEC audit of ARMPAC's activities during the 2002 campaign cycle (January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2002) found failures to report debts, contributions, and assets, as well as a failure to properly separate federal and non-federal spending. The audit was conducted in August 2005, after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, had filed a complaint. [http://www.citizensforethics.org/activities/campaign.php?view=72] Dani DeLay Ferro, DeLay's daughter and spokeswoman, said the fine and shutdown of ARMPAC were voluntary. In a statement, she said that the audit "concerns highly technical FEC reporting rules, which due to their complexity, the commission has since reformed and simplified."

ARMPAC provided the blueprint for Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), a state-level PAC founded in Austin by Ellis and DeLay in 2001.

Payments to relatives

From 2001 to January 31, 2006, ARMPAC paid Christine DeLay (DeLay's wife); Dani DeLay Ferro, and Ferro's Texas firm a total of $350,304 in political consulting fees and expenses. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/06/AR2006060601320_2.html Retirement Account of DeLay's Wife Traced] ]

Officers and notable members

*James W. Ellis Executive Director
*John Colyandro
*Tom DeLay
*Corwin Teltschik Treasurer. [http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqs/searcheqs?SUBMIT=summary&CURRSTATE=fec.mur.gui.Summary]
*Jack Abramoff Fundraiser. [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jack_Abramoff:_External_Links]
*Warren Robold Fundraiser. [http://www.tpj.org/page_view.jsp?pageid=804&pubid=569]
*Don McGahn Tom DeLay's attorney who handles issues related to ARMPAC. [http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/13549421.htm]

Indictments

In December 2005, Senior District Judge Pat Priest threw out charges accusing Representative Tom DeLay and of his two associates John Colyandro and Jim Ellis of conspiring to violate the state election code, but he permitted charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering to go forward.

ee also

*Texans for a Republican Majority

References

External links

* [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165435,00.html Audit Shows Misreporting by DeLay PAC] "Fox News", August 11, 2005.
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081101607.html FEC Faults Accounting at DeLay's PAC] Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, "Washington Post", August 12, 2005
* [http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/nov2005/abr1-n29.shtml The Abramoff affair: Corruption scandal threatens Republican control of US Congress] By Patrick Martin "WSWS" November 29, 2005
* [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3505077.html DeLay Fails to get case tossed out] R.G. Rattcliffe, "The Houston Chronicle", December 6, 2005
* [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3523469.html Earle probes DeLay tie to California donor] Michael Hedges, "The Houston Chronicle", December 14, 2005
* [http://columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=17745 Legislators cut Abramoff connections - Missouri Republicans who accepted donations are giving the money away] Ashley Henry, "Missourian News", January 5, 2006
*cite news
url=http://www.theocracywatch.org/delay_team_new_republic_june20_05.htm
title= Meet Team DeLay. Tammany Fall
publisher=The New Republic
date=2005-06-20
author=John Judis
* [http://tray.com/docs/FEC_Decision_July_19_2006.pdf Concilation Agreement between FEC and ARMPAC for violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act] , July 19, 2006 (pdf file)