Investigative article - Octopoid tentacles of the DeLay/Abramoff Scandal in Idaho?
February 11, 2006 12:38 AM

Investigative article - Octopoid tentacles of the DeLay/Abramoff Scandal in Idaho?
Okay, here's the scoop. I got some info from some college bloggers about some strange donations to the Idaho Republican Party from Saipan. I did some digging with the Idaho Secretary of State, and the FEC, and found that indeed, over $13,000 in donations came into Idaho from Tan Holdings and other Abramoff/DeLay related Saipan sweatshops in 1997-98. So I posted about it on 43rdstateblues.com a blog for progressive Democrats in Idaho, and am currently investigating.

My article can be found here.

It seems to me the questions that need to be looked into now are:

Why are sweatshops in Saipan giving money to Idaho Republicans?

Who are these Tan Holding Company donors? Are they executives who could actually afford to give these relatively large amounts (between 700 and 2000 dollars) or were these donations put in the names of sweatshop employees in order to get around individual giving limitations?

Were all of these donors US citizens or permanent residents?

Why Idaho, or in other words, is this part of a larger nationwide funding scheme to distribute GOP funds through Saipan – are there similar records in other states for GOP candidates?

Why is the Idaho Republican Party taking money from organizations known to violate human rights and labor laws including forcing female sweatshop employees to have abortions, etc?

It would be interesting if other people in other states wanted to do some digging with their Secretaries of State or other campaign finance authorities to look for similar donations. If you find anything, give me a holler!
posted by stenseng (0 comments total)

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