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January 20, 2006
Tell Rick Perry to Stop Funneling Our Tax Dollars to DeLay/Abramoff Cronies
This week the Houston Chronicle reported that Texas taxpayers have been funding exorbitant lobbying contracts for two Tom DeLay-Jack Abramoff cronies, Drew Maloney and Todd Boulanger. Here's what their editorial on 1/19 said:
“Together, the two deals will hand the pair of lobbyists more than $1 million in taxpayer funds by the end of next year, needlessly embroiling the state in the Washington lobbying scandal.”
The Longview News-Journal echoed:
“The more important question raised by (Rep. Jim) Dunnam is why Texas lawmakers ever thought it was necessary to appropriate more than $1 million for lobbyist contracts when the state — at the time of the decision — had a president, two powerful senators, (and) the House Majority Leader…to represent the state's interests in Washington.”
And the Fort Worth Star-Telegram made it three newspapers on the same day, publishing more of Rep. Jim Dunnam's comments:
"Governor Perry should not continue to waste huge sums of taxpayer money to fund the unnecessary lobby contract of [someone] who is directly involved in the unseemly activities of Tom DeLay."
So who are these two men at the center of this controversy, Drew Maloney and Todd Boulanger?
Before Rick Perry hired Maloney's Federalist Group for $180,000 a year to lobby the US Congress for the state of Texas, Maloney had given only $250 in campaign contributions. After Maloney was hired by Perry, he contributed over $75,000 to Republican candidates, committees and PACs, including Tom DeLay’s TRMPAC. This hardly seems like a coincidence.
Todd Boulanger has a close business and personal relationship with Jack Abramoff. Boulanger shared lobby contracts with Abramoff, worked with him at the same firms and even served on the board of the Capitol Athletic Foundation, Abramoff’s sham charity. Texas taxpayers should not pay $15,000 per month to someone with direct business ties to a lobbyist who has pled guilty to federal corruption charges
“Boulanger was a member of Abramoff's lobbying team during the time it defrauded Indian tribe clients out of millions.” (Houston Chronicle, 1/19/06)
Contact Governor Rick Perry and tell him to do the right thing and cancel the needless contracts he awarded to two Tom DeLay-Jack Abramoff cronies. Texas taxpayers deserve better than this.
To reach Governor Perry:
Call 1-800-252-9600
This is the Citizen Opinion Hotline. You may leave a recorded message -- unless the 'mailbox is full'.
E-mail Perry at:
Posted by Perry Dorrell at January 20, 2006 01:35 PM | Permalink
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