AP: DeLay used lobbyist’s concert skybox

House rules on gifts
House ethics rules prohibit a lawmaker from accepting any gift of $50 or more from special interests or soliciting gifts from anyone with business before the House.

The rules do allow lawmakers to accept food, lodging and transportation to a political event when it is paid for by a political committee, like DeLay’s. In this case, the skybox was paid for by a lobbyist and DeLay’s committee accepted it as a contribution.

House rules prohibit lawmakers from taking “anything provided by a registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal to an entity that is maintained or controlled by” a House member. DeLay was chairman of Americans for a Republican Majority PAC at the time the group accepted the skybox donation. McGahn, the DeLay lawyer, said that rule doesn’t apply to contributions to political committees or campaigns, which lawmakers collect regularly from lobbyists.

Abramoff’s cost of leasing the skybox at Washington’s MCI Center was $3,600 or $7,500 depending on the type of lease, arena spokesman Matt Williams said.

Congressional ethics experts said one key fact in determining the appearance of a conflict of interest or an improper gift would be whether DeLay was involved in soliciting use of the skybox.

No comment
Both DeLay’s office and Abramoff’s spokesman declined to say if DeLay was involved, citing a lack of records or recollection.

“Mr. Abramoff leased a skybox at the MCI Center for eight years,” Blum said. “Mr. Abramoff cannot be expected to and does not recall who used the box on any given day.”

Jan Baran, an attorney who has represented Republicans in campaign finance and ethics cases, said he doesn’t believe DeLay was obligated to pay for the skybox unless it was offered in exchange for an official act.

“I don’t think there was an ethical obligation to pay somebody,” Baran said.

DeLay has said he voted against the Internet gambling bill because it “clearly would have opened the door to the expansion of Internet gambling,” something he said he has long opposed. He later voted in favor of a different version that omitted such provisions, he said.

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