Jim Ellis (politics)

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Jim Ellis, or James W. Ellis, (fl. 2000) is an American Republican political activist.

He is the former executive director of Thomas D. DeLay's political action committee Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC), and is one of the two political associates who were indicted with DeLay on September 28, 2005, in "an alleged scheme to use corporate political donations illegally to support candidates in state elections." [1]

Ellis and John Colyandro, who "also faces 13 counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution," "already faced charges of money laundering in the case." They were indicted September 13, 2005, "on additional felony charges of violating Texas election law and criminal conspiracy to violate election law for their role in the 2002 legislative races." [2]

"The money laundering charges stem from $190,000 in corporate funds that were sent" to the Republican National Committee, "which then spent the same amount on seven candidates for the Texas Legislature." [3]

In 2000 Jim Ellis, along with Tom DeLay, Ed Buckham, and others, was named in a RICO lawsuit by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Ellis was running Americans for Economic Growth (AEG), which received $300,000 in "soft money" from the National Republican Congressional Committee funneled via Ed Buckham's U.S. Family Network non-profit in 1999. AEG spent $300,000 in radio ads attacking Democrats. When the suit was settled, the NRCC agreed to pay a $280,000 civil fine.

[edit] External links

• Bruce Rushton, "The Ethics Omission. Enforcers of Missouri's campaign-finance laws would rather hide than seek," River Front Times, October 1, 2001.
• Roy Temple, "DeLay Gave Roy Blunt $150,000," Fired Up Missouri!, June 9, 2005.
• "GOP operative should stand trial for money-laundering. Judge makes first ruling in corporate cash case," Austin American-Statesman, July 12, 2005.
• "Judge Supports Charges Vs. DeLay Colleagues," Associated Press, August 10, 2005.
• Roy Temple, "The Role of Jim Ellis," Fired Up America, August 15, 2005.
• Patrick O'Connor, "With ethics back in spotlight, Republicans are holding fundraiser for DeLay associate," The Hill, August 17, 2005.
• "Grand jury indicts two DeLay associates," Associated Press (CNN), September 13, 2005.
• Syvia Moreno, "3 DeLay Workers Indicted in Texas. Aides Charged in Fundraising Probe," Washington Post, September 22, 2005.