DeLay Inquiry Broadens

The Washington Post reports that Texas Prosecutor Ronnie Earle has broadened his inquiry into the political and financial activities of Rep. Tom DeLay.

The Texas prosecutor who secured an indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) on money-laundering charges broadened the scope of his inquiry into election spending yesterday, demanding documents related to funds that passed through a nonprofit organization, the U.S. Family Network.

The group, which was founded in 1996 by DeLay's then-chief of staff, Edwin A. Buckham, received $500,000 in 1999 from the National Republican Congressional Committee and used some of the money to finance radio ads attacking Democrats. The Federal Election Commission fined the party in 2004 for its role in the funding.

The prosecutor, Ronnie Earle, sent subpoenas yesterday to Buckham; the group's former president, Christopher Geeslin; the NRCC; and the treasurer of DeLay's leadership political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority.

At the time of the $500,000 payment from the NRCC, the finance director there was Ms. Abigail Perlman, who is now married to Rep. Roy Blunt.  Keep in mind that Earle has already subpoenaed the records of transactions between DeLay's committees and the PAC of  Rep. Roy Blunt and the Missouri Republican Party.  In addition, Earle has requested certified copies of the reports of Missouri Governor Matt Blunt's 2000 campaign.

The WaPo story then goes on to say:

Earle, an elected district attorney in Travis County, Tex., did not reveal in the subpoenas why he believes he has jurisdiction over the campaign spending.

Here's a hint.

By the way, Earle's instincts on Buckham are exactly right.  They got Scanlon, and the feds have Rudy nailed.  The next step toward DeLay is Buckham.