DeLay – Personally Corrupt?

Speaking today on CNN, Bill Schneider perfectly voiced a growing theme:

There’s a key difference between Tom Delay’s troubles and those that sent former congressman Duke Cunningham to jail. Cunningham was personally corrupt. Critics link Delay to what they call a system of corruption that was more far-reaching and partisan.

This, of course, is DeLay’s own spin: “You can’t prove to me one thing that I have done for my own personal gain.”

Now, I don’t expect that we’ll ever find that DeLay was as accomplished as Duke Cunningham at personal enrichment. But really, that’s quite a standard to hold anyone to.

DeLay wasn’t personally corrupt? How about the $3,200 per month that went to his wife Christine while she worked at Ed Buckham’s lobbying firm, Alexander Strategy Group? This went on for four years, and the timing of her employment (1998-2002) indicates she may have been used as a cutout to move money to DeLay.

Prosecutors have been reported to be very interested in how congressional spouses were used as pass-throughs for bribes. Tony Rudy has already pled guilty to something very similar – his wife was employed by one of Abramoff’s nonprofits. So not only is it wrong to say that DeLay was never personally enriched, it’s also wrong to say that he may not be prosecuted for it.

Beyond that, you can make a real case that DeLay used his political machine to live the life of a wealthy man. What Schneider means when he says that DeLay wasn’t “personally corrupt” is that the money didn’t go straight to DeLay’s bank account. But an AP piece late last year showed that money given to DeLay’s political committees and charities ended up being used to fund DeLay’s lifestyle:

Public documents reviewed by The Associated Press tell the story: at least 48 visits to golf clubs and resorts with lush fairways; 100 flights aboard company planes; 200 stays at hotels, many world-class; and 500 meals at restaurants, some averaging nearly $200 for a dinner for two.

Instead of his personal expense, the meals and trips for DeLay and his associates were paid with donations collected by the campaign committees, political action committees and children’s charity the Texas Republican created during his rise to the top of Congress.

“Personally corrupt” amidst a “system of corruption,” maybe. In the end what’s the difference?