Married to the mob

Geez, I don't know what the big deal is. Come on -- who wouldn't allegedly take "$3,200 a month -- a total of $115,000 over three years" for "a no-show job" at a lobbying firm if their crooked spouse could set it up? That's the American way, right?

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In a series of interviews last month, investigators questioned people who used to work at Alexander Strategy as well as people who worked in the same building as the now-defunct firm. "They wanted to know how often she came to the office? What did she do there? How long was she there?" said one person who was interviewed by the FBI.

Alexander Strategy was run by a pair of Mr. DeLay's former aides: Tony Rudy, who pleaded guilty to bribery charges in March; and Edwin Buckham, who remains under investigation. The firm also shared clients with Jack Abramoff.

In last month's interviews, investigators also asked about $144,000 that Mrs. DeLay received from one of Mr. DeLay's fund-raising committees, the Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee, which was housed at the lobbying firm's offices. Investigators also inquired about fees paid to Mr. DeLay's daughter, Dani DeLay Ferro, a longtime political consultant to her father.

The FBI just doesn't get it. This is about family values. Tom DeLay loves his family, and he just wanted them to share in his good fortune, that's all. And besides, Mrs. DeLay was a "key adviser to her husband and her employment at Armpac and Alexander Strategy was real and valuable." So says her lawyer, and that's good enough for me. In fact, if you ask me, Tom DeLay hiring his wife as a key adviser shows what a pro-feminist he is, too! We should all be so lucky to be married to such generous and supportive spouses.

(Via The Daily Muck)