The article below is via the Chattanooga Times Free Press: A Tennessee Democratic leader is seeking to play up ties of former staffers for GOP U.S. Senate candidates Van Hilleary and Ed Bryant to indicted U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas.
Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke said former staff members for former U.S. Reps. Bryant and Hilleary each later held a key post under Rep. DeLay.
Mr. Tuke said the movement of the staffers constitutes "almost a personal pipeline." "You know, we got a people connection, and to us it looks all the more insidious," he said.
Mr. Hilleary’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Coxe, dismissed Mr. Tuke’s remarks as silly.
She said that then-Rep. Hilleary was a deputy whip in the House leadership when Rep. DeLay was majority whip.
"Obviously, Ed Bryant, Van Hilleary and Tom DeLay have a relationship," she said. "They served in Congress for eight years."
Mr. Hilleary was in the House from January 1995 to January 2003. "As part of the leadership structure Van worked closely with (Rep.) DeLay to advance a conservative agenda, and he’s proud of that agenda, which includes balancing the budget and lowering taxes," Ms. Coxe said.
Bryant spokesman Sonny Scott said that, with regard to Rep. DeLay, "I think, fortunately, we live in a country where people are innocent until proven guilty."
Mr. Scott said he didn’t think Rep. DeLay’s situation will have any impact in the Tennessee Senate race. He accused Democrats of engaging in "gutter politics" on behalf of U.S. Senate Democrat hopeful Harold Ford Jr.
He said Democrats should be wary of "guilt by association" charges, citing the federal indictment on bribery charges of U.S. Rep. Ford’s uncle, former state Sen. John Ford, D-Memphis.
Dr. Robert Swansbrough, a University of Tennessee political science professor, said the attacks by Democrats are not surprising.
"All these charges create sparks," Dr. Swansbrough said. "Whether or not it’s enough to start a major fire, I think they need a little more than they’ve offered so far."
In his criticism Mr. Tuke cited Susan Hirschmann, a one-time Hilleary chief of staff who later became Rep. DeLay’s chief of staff. He also cited Andrew Maloney, then-Rep. Bryant’s legislative director, who went on to become Rep. DeLay’s legislative director.
Rep. DeLay recently was forced to step down as House majority leader after being indicted by a Texas grand jury on conspiracy and campaign money-laundering charges.
Ms. Hirschmann, Rep. DeLay’s chief of staff at the time, accompanied Rep. DeLay on a 2000 trip to England and Scotland, according to the Washington Post.
The Post reported that lobbyist Jack Abramoff partially paid for the trip. House ethics rules forbid lawmakers from accepting trips paid for by lobbyists.
Melanie Sloan, executive director of liberal organization Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington, described Ms. Hirschmann as a "go between" for Rep. DeLay and Mr. Abramoff. Ms. Sloan once worked for House Democrats.
The Washington Post recently quoted Ms. Hirschmann saying that Mr. Abramoff’s lobby firm had contacted Rep. DeLay’s office about the trip. She told the newspaper they had been assured that a nonprofit group paid for the trip.
Since then Mr. Abramoff has been indicted on unrelated charges involving the purchase of a line of cruise ships. Ms. Hirschmann later became a lobbyist at Williams and Jensen. According to Senate records, Ms. Hirschmann’s clients in 2004 included the National Indian Gaming Association, which represents tribes and businesses associated with Indian casinos. She no longer is registered to lobby with the association.
Efforts to reach Ms. Hirschmann were unsuccessful.
According to Mr. Hilleary’s federal campaign financial disclosures, Ms. Hirschmann contributed $4,200 this year to Mr. Hilleary’s Senate race, giving $2,100 for the primary contest and another $2,100 for the general election.
Meanwhile, according to House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct records, Mr. Maloney was involved in setting up a 2002 golf outing in which he told a lobbyist for Westar that a $25,000 contribution would get access to Mr. DeLay.
The committee admonished Rep. DeLay for the event.
FEC filings show Mr. Maloney contributed $1,000 to Mr. Bryant’s Senate campaign this year and $250 to Mr. Bryant’s unsuccessful 2002 Republican primary Senate bid.
Mr. Tuke also criticized $10,000 in campaign contributions that two American Indian tribes made to one of then-Rep. Hilleary’s federal political action committee in 2002. Mr. Abramoff represented both tribes.
Records maintained by PoliticalMoneyLine, a nonpartisan campaign finance database, show Mr. Abramoff made three contributions to then-Rep. Hilleary totalling $1,750 during the 1996, 1998 and 2000 election cycles.
Ms. Coxe, Mr. Hilleary’s spokeswoman, said Mr. Hilleary is "opposed to gambling. His votes reflect that. He’s voted against Indian gaming."She said Mr. Hilleary does not know why the two tribes contributed to the PAC.
She said that any candidate accepting money from individuals has "no idea whether or not in five years some of those individuals might be accused of some wrongdoing."
"When those donations were made by Jack Abramoff, there was no way for anyone to know he would be accused of wrongdoing," she said.
Former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker also is running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, which will be held Aug. 3, 2006. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is not seeking re-election to the seat he first won in 1994. The U.S. Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., DTenn., declined comment.
Efforts to reach state Sen. Rosalind Kurita, D-Clarksville, the other announced Democrat for the U.S. Senate nomination, were unsuccessful.The Washington Post contributed to this story.
More: Read more on the Bryant/Hilleary/Delay connections here: (1, 2, 3, 4)!
Commentary: Adam Groves has some good insight regarding this story on his blog Simply I:
"If Democrats make fodder of this miniscule issue when it isn't clear that Van Hilleary will be the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate how much will that intensify if he is? It's unfortunate that there is a difference between the 'is' and 'ought' in this case. Jennifer Coxe is absolutely right about the 'ought,' "When those donations were made by Jack Abramoff, there was no way for anyone to know he would be accused of wrongdoing." The 'is' is a concern about the fires the Republican nominee will have to put out once they are actually facing challenge from members of the opposite party.
Ed Bryant's supporters are quick to point out the conclusions to be drawn. Jay Bush questions whether Van is "damaged goods." Which brings me to another point- if you smell yourself getting doused in gasoline, the easiest way out might be to douse the other guy too- that way he can't throw the match. That seems to be the strategy with this comment near the top of the Times Free Press story from Hilleary spokesman Jennifer Coxe-- "Obviously, Ed Bryant, Van Hilleary and Tom DeLay have a relationship. They served in Congress for eight years." The problem is- as evident by the article- the Democrats are the ones with the matches in their hands. And that could mean all Republicans get burnt."
