John Colyandro
Encyclopedia
John 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.
Colyandro graduated from Westfield High School in Houston, Texas
in 1982.
In 1983 while attending the University of Texas at Austin
, Colyandro founded the Texas Review Society and the Texas Review, a conservative political newspaper, which was the antecedent to the Austin Review, Texas Education Review, and Houston Review.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v38/ai_4373939
Later in the 1980s, Colyandro wrote direct mail pieces for Karl Rove
. When Colyandro was hired as executive director of TRMPAC, he was described as a "longtime pal of Rove's."http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50318
In 1985, Colyandro founded the Texas Conservative Coalition to shape public policy through the promotion of limited government, free enterprise, individual liberties, and traditional values. Today, the TCC is widely recognized as one of the largest and most influential caucuses in the Texas Legislature.http://www.txcc.org/tcc_home.html
In 2001, Colyandro was selected by Jim Ellis
and Tom Delay
(R-Texas) to be executive director of TRMPAC.
In 2004, Colyandro was indicted for accepting illegal corporate donations and for illegally laundering $190,000 in corporate funds through the Republican National State Elections Committee that later wound up in the hands of Texas Republican candidates.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/08/AR2005090800973.html
Colyandro was indicted http://news.findlaw.com/nytimes/docs/delay/delay92805ind.html September 28, 2005, along with then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Jim Ellis, who runs DeLay's political action committee Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC). All three were charged with "conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme."
Colyandro, who "already faced charges of money laundering in the case, also faces 13 counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution," and Ellis were indicted September 13, 2005, "on additional felony charges of violating Texas election law and criminal conspiracy to violate election law for their role in the 2002 legislative races." http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/13/election.probe.ap/
"The money laundering charges stem from $190,000 in corporate funds that were sent" to the Republican National Committee, "which then spent the same amount on seven candidates for the Texas Legislature." http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/13/election.probe.ap/
Colyandro's pre-trial hearing is set for January 4, 2006.http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/elxpacs/30TRMPAC.html
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...
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...
. Colyandro has been indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
for money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
and unlawful acceptance of corporate contributions.
Colyandro graduated from Westfield High School in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1982.
In 1983 while attending the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, Colyandro founded the Texas Review Society and the Texas Review, a conservative political newspaper, which was the antecedent to the Austin Review, Texas Education Review, and Houston Review.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v38/ai_4373939
Later in the 1980s, Colyandro wrote direct mail pieces for Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
. When Colyandro was hired as executive director of TRMPAC, he was described as a "longtime pal of Rove's."http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50318
In 1985, Colyandro founded the Texas Conservative Coalition to shape public policy through the promotion of limited government, free enterprise, individual liberties, and traditional values. Today, the TCC is widely recognized as one of the largest and most influential caucuses in the Texas Legislature.http://www.txcc.org/tcc_home.html
In 2001, Colyandro was selected by Jim Ellis
Jim 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 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...
(R-Texas) to be executive director of TRMPAC.
In 2004, Colyandro was indicted for accepting illegal corporate donations and for illegally laundering $190,000 in corporate funds through the Republican National State Elections Committee that later wound up in the hands of Texas Republican candidates.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/08/AR2005090800973.html
Colyandro was indicted http://news.findlaw.com/nytimes/docs/delay/delay92805ind.html September 28, 2005, along with then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Jim Ellis, who runs DeLay's political action committee Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC). All three were charged with "conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme."
Colyandro, who "already faced charges of money laundering in the case, also faces 13 counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution," and Ellis were indicted September 13, 2005, "on additional felony charges of violating Texas election law and criminal conspiracy to violate election law for their role in the 2002 legislative races." http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/13/election.probe.ap/
"The money laundering charges stem from $190,000 in corporate funds that were sent" to the Republican National Committee, "which then spent the same amount on seven candidates for the Texas Legislature." http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/13/election.probe.ap/
Colyandro's pre-trial hearing is set for January 4, 2006.http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/elxpacs/30TRMPAC.html
External links
- Texans for Public Justice
- The Austin Review
- Texas Grand Jury Indictment Against Westar EnergyWestar EnergyWestar Energy is an investor owned electric utility headquartered in Topeka, Kansas. Westar is the largest electric company in Kansas, serving 687,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the eastern third of the state. Westar Energy generates more than 27,000,000 megawatt-hours of...
, September 2004. - "GOP operative should stand trial for money-laundering. Judge makes first ruling in corporate cash case," Austin American-Statesman, July 12, 2005.
- "Judge Supports Charges Vs. DeLay Colleagues," Associated Press, August 10, 2005.
- "Grand jury indicts two DeLay associates," Associated Press (CNN), September 13, 2005.
- Syvia Moreno, "3 DeLay Workers Indicted in Texas. Aides Charged in Fundraising Probe," Washington Post, September 22, 2005.