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May 5, 2005
As Tom DeLay's ethics problems continue to grow, he is finding that his circle of support is growing smaller. Three major U.S. companies that were targeted by American Progress for their donations to DeLay's legal defense fund announced on Wednesday that they will no longer make contributions. Verizon, Nissan North America and Texas-based American Airlines all stated that they will no longer give money to help DeLay's legal woes. DeLay also lost two sympathetic colleagues on the ethics panel. Republicans Representatives Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Tom Cole (R-OK) appropriately recused themselves from any DeLay investigations - both Smith and Cole had donated money to DeLay's legal defense fund.
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Two companies still make consumers pay for DeLay's legal defense. R.J. Reynolds and Bacardi U.S.A. have donated thousands of dollars to DeLay's legal defense fund and have still refused to stop giving him money in the future. These companies need to respond to the public's concern and help restore confidence in an ethical government by refusing to support DeLay's legal fund.
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Bacardi's reach goes beyond DeLay. Republican ethics committee members Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA) both are under scrutiny for possible conflicts on interests. Both representatives sponsored a bill that would amend a U.S. trademark law to solely benefit Bacardi U.S.A.
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Progressives have a real plan for ethics reform. Progressives in the House, led by Representatives Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Marty Meehan (D-MA) are pushing for real ethics reforms. They are proposing extensive new reforms to the rules that govern lobbyists' interactions in Congress.
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