Tony Rudy

Tony Charles Rudy (born May 3, 1966), an American lobbyist and an associate of Jack Abramoff. After serving as a staffer in the office of U. S. Representative Tom DeLay (R-TX) from approximately 1995 to 2001, and rising to deputy chief of staff, Rudy joined "Team Abramoff" at Greenberg Traurig. Rudy was implicated in the Jack Abramoff guilty plea as unindicted co-conspirator "Staffer A". In 2006, Rudy pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with investigators. Tom DeLay ("Representative #2") and Bob Ney ("Representative #1") are identified in the plea.Susan Schmidt and James Grimaldi, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/25/AR2005112501423.html "Lawmakers Under Scrutiny in Probe of Lobbyist: Ney and DeLay Among the Members of Congress Said to Be a Focus of Abramoff Investigation"] . "Washington Post", November 26, 2005.] [http://www.hillnews.com/news/032603/ssl_list.aspx "Star Rainmakers: The Hill's list of top lobbyists,"] "The Hill", March 26, 2003.] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033100638.html Ex-DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty] , "Washington Post", March 31, 2006] [ [http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/rudy-information/?resultpage=1& Tony Rudy charging document] ]

Background

Tony C. Rudy attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the late 1980s, a conservative student leader with fellow student Brian Darling, who also later became a prominent Congressional aide embroiled in controversy. Rudy worked on Capitol Hill for eight years, first for California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who had a reputation as one of the most libertarian Republicans in Congress, before leaving to attend law school. Rudy then went on to work for more than five years in DeLay's office.

While working for Rohrabacher, Rudy met his future wife, Lisa, who was also employed as a staffer in Rohrabacher's office. The couple would marry in August 1995.

During his time working for DeLay, who was known as a conservative Republican, in contrast to the often libertarian-leaning Rohrabacher, Rudy served as press secretary, policy director, and finally deputy chief of staff, while DeLay progressed within the Republican Congressional leadership from congressman to Majority Whip to Majority Leader. DeLay lauded Rudy in a Congressional floor speech on December 15, 2000, just before Rudy left to work with Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm. [http://www.saipantribune.com/archives/newsstoryarch.aspx?newsID=11005&cat=3&archdte=12/20/2000%2012:00:00%20AM]

Rudy originally came to Washington, D.C. to work for conservative and libertarian groups. He quickly immersed himself in Republican party politics, before leaving Capitol Hill to attend law school at George Mason University, in nearby Arlington, Virginia, between 1992 and 1995. At GMU, he served as head of the Federalist Society. He would later win the 2nd Year Student Moot Court Championship, which was a type of law school debate competition between various two-member teams. After graduating from law school and passing the bar, Rudy was hired by DeLay, after being recommended by Rohrabacher.

Influence Peddling

Rudy's March 2006 guilty plea on a charge of conspiracy covered payments from Abramoff clients and associates to Liberty Consulting, a political firm founded by Rudy's wife, Lisa. In October 2005, the "Washington Post" reported that Rudy, while on DeLay's staff, helped scuttle a bill opposed by eLottery Inc., an Abramoff client, and that Abramoff had eLottery pay Toward Tradition to hire Liberty Consulting," Susan Schmidt and James Grimaldi, reported in the November 26, 2005, "Washington Post".

Insider Trading

While a DeLay staffer, Rudy traded hundreds of thousands of shares of stocks from his work computer in 1999 and 2000. From House disclosure forms it is impossible to determine whether Rudy profited or if he used insider knowledge. It is not illegal for Congressional staffers to trade upon insider legislative knowledge, although Louise Slaughter has introduced a bill banning the practice. [Brody Mullins, [http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2006/03/28/bill-looks-to-ban-insider-trading-for-lawmakers-and-their-aides/ Bill Looks To Ban Insider Trading For Lawmakers and Their Aides] , "Wall Street Journal", March 29, 2006]

DeLay Loyalist

" [F] ormer Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Rudy, quoted while in his former employ with the Alexander Strategy Group, told "National Journal", "There is a lot of discussion about how we can help Republican candidates and expand the majority". As for DeLay, Rudy added, 'As long as he wants me, I'll be there for him.' ..." John J. Judis, [http://www.theocracywatch.org/delay_team_new_republic_june20_05.htm "Meet Team DeLay. Tammany Fall,"] "The New Republic" (Theocracy Watch), June 20, 2005.]

No list of top Washington lobbyists "is complete without Rudy, lobbyist extraordinaire." [ [http://www.dcnavigators.com/downloads/toplobbyists.pdf Home - DC Navigators ] ]

2000 Florida Recount

"Four of Abramoff's colleagues — all of whom have left Greenberg [Traurig] in the wake of investigations surrounding Abramoff’s activities — were foot soldiers in the Florida recount. Two of them bragged of their recount work on their official online Greenberg biographies, which have since been removed," John Byrne reported in the May 5, 2005, edition of "Raw Story".John Byrne, [http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/abramoff_florida_recount_bush_505.htm "Bush Florida 2000 recount committee still owes lobbyist's former firm $314k. White House directs queries to RNC,"] "The Raw Story", May 5, 2005]

"Shawn Vasell noted that he was a 'team leader' in Broward and Duval counties in his bio; Duane Gibson was photographed in the acclaimed "Brooks Brothers riot" of Republican operatives outside the Miami-Dade County polling headquarters; Todd Boulanger boasted of being on the Broward and Duval recount team in his profile. Rudy was also on the ground.

"Boulanger drafted a letter DeLay signed urging the Interior Department to favor Abramoff's client in June 2003 — a letter cosigned by the House Republican leadership, including Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO)," Byrne wrote.

uspension of Virginia Law License

On August 4, 2006, the Virginia State Bar issued the following notice:: Tony Charles Rudy, --: VSB Docket No. 07-000-0275

: Effective July 31, 2006, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board summarily suspended Tony Charles Rudy’s license to practice law in Virginia. The suspension arises from Mr. Rudy’s guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. The board ordered Mr. Rudy to appear before it on August 25, 2006, to determine whether revocation or further suspension of his license to practice law is appropriate. [ [http://www.vsb.org/profguides/actions_jul06-dec06.html VSB Disciplinary July 2006 - Dec 2006 ] ]

On November 17, 2006, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board revoked Rudy's license to practice law. [http://www.vsb.org/docs/Rudy_Final_Op_12-05-06.pdf]

References

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/rudy-information/?resultpage=1& Copy of Plea Agreement] , March 31, 2006
* [http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Tony_Rudy.php Complete list of Tony Rudy's campaign contributions] , at newsmeat.com
* [http://www.techpolitics.org/congress/delayalum.php?sort_field=recipient+asc,+contributor&sort_order=asc "Political Contributions by DeLay Alumni During the 2003–2004 Election Cycle,"] "Tech Politics" ("CQ Weekly", Federal Election Commission downloaded March 2005.)
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033101742.html "A Force Behind the Power: Political Operator Tony Rudy Helped DeLay's Ascent," "The Washington Post", April 1, 2006.]
* [http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Four_congressmembers_role_in_Abramoff_lobbying_1125.html "Four congressmembers role in Abramoff lobbying scandal probed,"] "The Raw Story", November 25, 2005.