Americans for a Republican Majority
Encyclopedia
Americans for a Republican Majority (also ARMPAC) was a political action committee
formed by former Republican
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
and directed by Karl Gallant
. On July 7, 2006 ARMPAC reached an agreement with the Federal Election Commission
to pay a fine of $115,000 for various violations and to shut down operations. It filed its termination papers on April 24, 2007.
and several of close associates, ARMPAC was created with the goal of electing a Republican majority in the United States Congress
for the 2000 elections. The millions of dollars ARMPAC raised were responsible for the success of many Republican candidates, officeholders, and PACs nationwide.
An FEC audit of ARMPAC's activities during the 2002 campaign cycle (January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2002) found failures to report debts, contributions, and assets, as well as a failure to properly separate federal and non-federal spending. The audit was conducted in August 2005. Dani DeLay Ferro, DeLay's daughter and spokeswoman, said the fine and shutdown of ARMPAC were voluntary. In a statement, she said that the audit "concerns highly technical FEC reporting rules, which due to their complexity, the commission has since reformed and simplified."
ARMPAC provided the blueprint for Texans for a Republican Majority
(TRMPAC), a state-level PAC founded in Austin by Ellis and DeLay in 2001.
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
formed by former Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
and directed by Karl Gallant
Karl Gallant
Karl M. Gallant, a former staffer for United States House Majority Leader Thomas D. DeLay, former director of DeLay's Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee , and DeLay fundraiser, ran and served as the registered agent for Ed Buckham's Republican Majority Issues Committee...
. On July 7, 2006 ARMPAC reached an agreement with the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
to pay a fine of $115,000 for various violations and to shut down operations. It filed its termination papers on April 24, 2007.
History
Originally formed by Tom DeLay (R-Texas), Jim EllisJim Ellis (politics)
James W. Ellis, is an American Republican political activist.He is the former executive director of Thomas D. DeLay's political action committee Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee , and is one of the two political associates who were with DeLay on September 28, 2005,...
and several of close associates, ARMPAC was created with the goal of electing a Republican majority in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
for the 2000 elections. The millions of dollars ARMPAC raised were responsible for the success of many Republican candidates, officeholders, and PACs nationwide.
An FEC audit of ARMPAC's activities during the 2002 campaign cycle (January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2002) found failures to report debts, contributions, and assets, as well as a failure to properly separate federal and non-federal spending. The audit was conducted in August 2005. Dani DeLay Ferro, DeLay's daughter and spokeswoman, said the fine and shutdown of ARMPAC were voluntary. In a statement, she said that the audit "concerns highly technical FEC reporting rules, which due to their complexity, the commission has since reformed and simplified."
ARMPAC provided the blueprint for Texans for a Republican Majority
Texans for a Republican Majority
Texans for a Republican Majority or TRMPAC is a general-purpose political action committee registered with the Texas Ethics Commission. It was founded in 2001 by former Republican Texas U.S. Rep...
(TRMPAC), a state-level PAC founded in Austin by Ellis and DeLay in 2001.
Payments to relatives
From 2001 to January 31, 2006, ARMPAC paid Christine DeLay (DeLay's wife); Dani DeLay Ferro, and Ferro's Texas firm a total of $350,304 in political consulting fees and expenses.Officers and notable members
- James W. Ellis Executive Director
- John ColyandroJohn ColyandroJohn Dominick Colyandro is the former executive director of the political action committee Texans for a Republican Majority. Colyandro has been indicted for money laundering and unlawful acceptance of corporate contributions....
- Tom DeLayTom DeLayThomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
- Corwin Teltschik Treasurer.
- Jack AbramoffJack AbramoffJack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
Fundraiser. - Warren Robold Fundraiser.
- Don McGahn Tom DeLay's former attorney who handles issues related to ARMPAC. He was appointed by George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to be a commissioner on the Federal Elections Commission.
External links
- Audit Shows Misreporting by DeLay PAC Fox News, August 11, 2005.
- FEC Faults Accounting at DeLay's PAC Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, Washington Post, August 12, 2005
- The Abramoff affair: Corruption scandal threatens Republican control of US Congress By Patrick Martin WSWS November 29, 2005
- DeLay Fails to get case tossed out R.G. Rattcliffe, The Houston Chronicle, December 6, 2005
- Earle probes DeLay tie to California donor Michael Hedges, The Houston Chronicle, December 14, 2005
- Legislators cut Abramoff connections - Missouri Republicans who accepted donations are giving the money away Ashley Henry, Missourian News, January 5, 2006
- Concilation Agreement between FEC and ARMPAC for violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, July 19, 2006 (pdf file)