The 32 felony indictments announced Sept. 21 by Travis Co. prosecutors charge three persons and eight corporations with various criminal counts of illegally contributing, soliciting, or accepting corporate campaign donations for the 2002 state legislative campaigns. Public Integrity Unit director Gregg Cox described this group of indictments reflecting “one portion of the overall investigation.”
| Defendant | Indictment | Offense |
| James Ellis (aide to Tom DeLay) | Money laundering | First-degree felony |
| John Colyandro (Executive director, TRMPAC) | Money laundering | First-degree felony |
| 13 counts of accepting illegal contributions | Third-degree felony | |
| Warren RoBold (DeLay fundraiser) | 9 counts of solicitation and accepting illegal contributions | Third-degree felony |
| Questerra Corp., Va. | 2 counts, illegal contribution ($50,000) | Third-degree felony |
| Westar Energy, Kan. | Illegal contribution ($25,000) | Third-degree felony |
| Diversified Collection Services, Calif. | Illegal contribution ($50,000) | Third-degree felony |
| Sears, Roebuck, Ill. | Illegal contribution ($25,000) | Third-degree felony |
| The Williams Companies, Okla. | Illegal contribution ($25,000) | Third-degree felony |
| Bacardi U.S.A., Fla. | Illegal contribution ($20,000) | Third-degree felony |
| Cracker Barrel, Tenn. | Illegal contribution ($25,000) | Third-degree felony |
| Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care | Illegal contribution ($100,000) | Third-degree felony |
The 13 indictments against John Colyandro and the nine indictments against Warren RoBold involve the corporate contributions listed above, as well as contributions solicited and accepted from corporations not among the eight indicted, including the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, Cornell Companies, Reliant Resources, AT&T, and El Paso Corp.
A first-degree felony is punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000, a third-degree felony by two to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. A corporation convicted of a third-degree felony can be liable for a fine up to $20,000 or additional financial penalties.
This article appears in September 24 • 2004.
