Raw Story Exclusive - FORMER DELAY AIDE PAID THINK TANK & GOT KICKBACK

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Former DeLay aide paid thinktank to advance Washington lobbying efforts

John Byrne
Published: Wednesday April 12, 2006

Policy nonprofit where Abramoff was director funded DeLay's overseas junkets

The following report was written by John Byrne and researched by Ron Brynaert and Muriel Kane.

The former deputy chief of staff to onetime House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) advised the manufacturer of Stoli Vodka to make a $20,000 contribution to the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative thinktank, which wrote an editorial supporting Stoli shortly thereafter, RAW STORY has found.

DeLay deputy Tony Rudy got an $8,000 kickback on the deal, according to his plea agreement. In apparent exchange for the tax-deductible donation, the nonprofit's president wrote an article aiding the company's lobbying effort.

The article, written by NCPPR director Amy Ridenour, argued that Russia “undermined Democratic capitalism” by voiding SPI Spirit’s trademark on Stoli Vodka. At the time, according to Abramoff and Rudy’s lobbying filings, SPI Spirits was lobbying Congress on “trade with Russia and intellectual property rights.”

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Former_DeLay_aide_paid_thinktank_that_0412.html