Posted on Fri, Nov. 14, 2003


DeLay establishes charity to court political donors

By Michael Slackman
The New York Times

Tom Delay

It is an unusual charity brochu a 13-page document, complete with
pictures of fireworks and a golf course, that invites donors to give as
much as $500,000 to spend time with Texas Rep. Tom DeLay during the 2004
Republican convention in New York City -- and to have part of the money
go toward helping abused and neglected children.

DeLay, the House majority leader, has done work for troubled children
and drawn criticism for his aggressive political fund raising across his
career in Congress. He said through his staff that the entire effort is
fundamentally aimed at helping children.

*****But aides to DeLay acknowledged that a portion of the money will go
to pay for late-night convention parties, a luxury suite during
President Bush's speech at Madison Square Garden and yacht cruises.****

****Campaign finance watchdogs say DeLay's effort can be seen as a
creative maneuver around the recently enacted law meant to limit the
ability of federal officials to raise large donations known as soft
money.****

"They are using the idea of helping children as a blatant cover for
financing activities in connection with a convention with huge
unlimited, undisclosed, unregulated contributions," said Fred
Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a Washington-based group that
helped push through the recent overhaul of the campaign finance laws.

And other lawmakers may follow DeLay's lead. Senate Majority Leader Bill
Frist of Tennessee is planning a concert and a reception in conjunction
with the convention as a way of raising money for AIDS charities.

DeLay's charity, Celebrations for Children, was established in September
and has no track record of work. DeLay is not a formal official of the
charity, but its managers are DeLay's daughter, Dani DeLay Ferro; Craig
Richardson, a longtime adviser; and Rob Jennings, a Republican
fund-raiser. Richardson said the managers would be paid by the new charity.

Richardson said the goal was to give 75 percent of the money it raises
to children's charities, including some in the New York area. He said
the charity also planned to stage events at the Super Bowl.

But because the money collected will go into a nonprofit organization,
donors get a tax break. And DeLay will never have to publicly account
for who contributed, which campaign finance experts say shields those
who may be trying to win favor with one of the most powerful lawmakers
in Washington.

Richardson dismissed such criticism. "We are using the opportunity to
throw parties, which happen anyway, but to give money back to abused and
neglected children," he said.