Ed Buckham
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Edwin A. Buckham is an evangelical minister, former congressional staffer and lobbyist. Buckham served as chief of staff from approximately 1995 to 1998 to then Majority Whip Tom DeLay. Buckham later became a lobbyist, formed the Alexander Strategy Group, a Republican Party-associated lobbying and political strategy firm with offices in Washington DC and Hong Kong. He is connected to the various scandals surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He joined DeLay and Abramoff on trips to Russia in 1997, Scotland in 2000, and Korea in 2001 that were funded by Jack Abramoff.
Political activities
Buckham founded and served as the consultant for U.S. Family Network, Inc. (USFN), a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) corporation founded in Virginia that had its principal offices in the District of Columbia.
Buckham also created and raised funds for the Republican Majority Issues Committee (RMIC), a tax-exempt 527 committee, organized as a corporation under the laws of Virginia with principal office located in Virginia. Karl Gallant, a close political ally of DeLay, ran RMIC and served as its registered agent. Gallant formerly ran Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC), a political action committee controlled by Tom DeLay. Buckham also consulted for ARMPAC.
ARMPAC is now managed by Jim Ellis. Ellis, a close political ally of DeLay, was also a consultant for Buckham's Alexander Strategy Group.
Alexander Strategy Group, USFN, and RMIC have all shared the same office.
Fines for donations
A RICO lawsuit was brought by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee against a series of defendants, including Tom DeLay, US Family Network, Inc. (William J. Olson), Republican Majority Issues Committee, Inc. (Karl Gallant), Americans for Economic Growth, Inc. (Jim Ellis), and John Does 1-20, filed in United States District Court for the District of Columbia, May 3, 2000.The National Republican Congressional Committee "agreed to pay a $280,000 civil fine for transferring big donations known as 'soft money' to an outside group to finance ads in the 2000 election.
"The Federal Election Commission says the NRCC transferred $500,000 in soft money to the U.S. Family Network during the primary season in 1999 to fund political ads that the NRCC should have paid for with a mix of soft money — unlimited donations from companies and others — and hard money, limited contributions from individuals.
"The U.S. Family Network sent $300,000 to another group, Americans for Economic Growth. AEG then spent about $260,000 to run radio ads in fall 1999 accusing Democrats of planning to raid the Social Security fund and use it on other programs. ...
"The NRCC knew the U.S. Family Network planned to transfer money from the party committee to another group to pay for anti-Democratic ads, the FEC found.
"The commission announced the outcome of the case Friday [April 9, 2004]. The FEC inquiry was prompted by a complaint filed by the NRCC's rival, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
"Under a law that took effect after the 2002 election, the national party committees are banned from spending soft money." [Associated Press]
Connections to the Abramoff scandal
Most of the $3.02 million in revenues of the U.S. Family Network came from clients of Jack Abramoff. More $1 million of that money was then paid by USFN to Buckham and his wife, Wendy, during a five-year period ending in 2001, via their lobbying firm, the Alexander Strategy Group.In January 2006 Buckham closed Alexander Strategy Group, and left the lobbying business. Buckham said that the company was fatally damaged by publicity about the ongoing federal investigation into the affairs of Abramoff.
References
External links
- George Loper, ["Elections 2000: National Republican Congressional Committee Funds National Right to Life Committee and U.S. Family Network,"] Loper.org, December 1999.
- Jim Burns, ["Democrats File RICO Suit Against DeLay,"] USConservatives, May 3, 2000.
- ["GOP group pays $280,000 campaign fine,"] Associated Press (MSNBC), April 9 2004.
- ["NRCC busted for illegal 'soft money' donations,"] The Carpetbagger Report, April 9 2004.
- ["Political Contributions by DeLay Alumni During the 2003-2004 Election Cycle,"] Tech Politics (CQ Weekly, Federal Election Commission downloaded March 2005.)
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