Explosive: US probes DeLay, Secret paper links Thatcher to freebies probe!

[BigBearJohn]

As mentioned on RAWSTORY:

A DOCUMENT linking Margaret Thatcher to a US corruption probe is so explosive civil servants have been asked to ensure it remains "sealed".

The 79-year-old former Premier is said to have met Congressman Tom DeLay in Britain while he was on a suspected favours-for-freebies scam.

In return for his free holiday, DeLay - who resigned as Republican leader of Congress last week after being accused of laundering political funds - allegedly backed legislation favourable to lobby groups.

Disclosing that US authorities were seeking aid from UK counterparts, a secret Home Office briefing says: "One visit to the UK involved a meeting with Mrs Margaret Thatcher.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16201986&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=keep-it-sealed-keep-it-secret--name_page.html

http://www.rawstory.com/

[Arkana]

1. OK, you really don't want to know what the title of this suggested to me.

:P

[rooboy]

6. You mean that Margaret Thatcher is "out there" since her hubby died? n/t

:)

[Arkana]

7. Before you edited it that is...

:evilgrin:

[Greeby]

2. Maggie committing right-wing scumbaggery?

Whoda thunk? :eyes: :sarcasm:

[malaise]

8. Don't forget Maggie's son

was arrested for some more right wing scum in South Africa - that coup plot in Equatorial Guinea.
Edit - sp.

[savemefromdumbya]

28. Right!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/08/25/thatcher.arrest/

[Just Me]

3. *LOL*

:rofl: This is fantastical. }(

I'd prefer to see the Abramoff network completely revealed.

[0007]

48. Senators, Congressmen, Hipsters Flipters and Finger pointing

stool pigeons will all be going down and paving the way with more proof that Barbara Bush gave birth to one of the biggest idiots that ever lived to be president of the U.S.

[Straight Shooter]

4. Uh, the Mirror?

I don't know how reliable this snoozepaper is, but at least they've taken the ball and are running with it :)

[Wilms]

12. WP was talking about this...

a while ago.

Gambling Interests Funded DeLay Trip
Later in 2000, Lawmaker's Vote Helped Defeat Regulatory Measure

By James V. Grimaldi and R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, March 12, 2005; Page A01

An Indian tribe and a gambling services company made donations to a Washington public policy group that covered most of the cost of a $70,000 trip to Britain by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), his wife, two aides and two lobbyists in mid-2000, two months before DeLay helped kill legislation opposed by the tribe and the company.

The sponsor of the week-long trip listed in DeLay's financial disclosures was the nonprofit National Center for Public Policy Research, but a person involved in arranging DeLay's travel said that lobbyist Jack Abramoff suggested the trip and then arranged for checks to be sent by two of his clients, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and eLottery Inc.

snip/more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A28252-2005Mar11?language=printer

[Straight Shooter]

17. Aha.

Abramoff, a member of the National Center's board, joined the DeLays on the May 25 to June 3, 2000, trip, which DeLay's congressional office has said included a stop in London and a visit with Margaret Thatcher, along with the golf outing at St. Andrews, where colleagues say Abramoff has a membership.

...

A person who went on the trip but spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the controversy said that DeLay talked with Thatcher about her efforts to help end the Cold War and with others about trade issues. An aide to Thatcher confirmed that the meeting occurred.

I don't know if it rises to the level of the Mirror assertions, but it's still good to know that it's getting out in the open.

Thanks for the link to the WaPo article :hi:

[starroute]

24. The National Center for Public Policy Research is sleazy too

We were researching it here last fall because they'd sent out one of those Social Security scam letters to the elderly, using the same firm (Response Dynamics) that the College Republicans got in trouble with. Jack Abramoff was a director and a friend of the president, Amy Ridenour, from back in their own College Republican days in the 80's. There are other sleazy aspects to the group as well. It hasn't had the spotlight on it yet, but I'm sure hoping that at some point it will.

[IChing]

25. thanks for the information and education

I didn't know jack ass had his hands in that one too.

[savemefromdumbya]

26. this was known a long time ago

although it wasn't thought of as being corrupt - but now it is. The Mirror is OK.

[malaise]

31. Ask Kate Moss

if they're reliable:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[IChing]

5. Read the whole article it ties in Delay and Abramoff

In even more illegal shit along with the Iron Maiden.

[Greeby]

22. Hey, don't bring Iron Maiden into this!

They weren't very fond of her when she was in power:

[politick]

45. That's Awesome

Or radical, should I say. Mint? Massive? Sick?

[Benhurst]

9. I especially liked "The Thatcher family's reputation has tarnished

since she left office."

Yeah, now that the skanky bitch is out of office, she can't keep everything hidden.

I doubt if little Tony's reputation will improve once he leaves office, either.

:hurts:

[savemefromdumbya]

27. Look at Mark Thatcher's corruption (her son) and role in coup plot

Thatcher's son was hauled in for corruption and coup plot

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/08/25/thatcher.arrest/

[emad]

33. Thatcher = Pinochet's greatest moneylaundering asset outside USA

and heavily implicated in the corruption at Riggs Bank.

[Say_What]

41. Arms giant BAe Systems 'paid £1m to ex-dictator Pinochet'

<clips>

BRITAIN'S biggest arms manufacturer BAe Systems was today accused of paying more than £1 million to former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet.

The Guardian newspaper said it had documents showing three companies linked to Gen Pinochet were getting money from the firm as late as June last year.

BAe Systems, which employs more than 2000 people in Edinburgh, is already under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office on suspicion of money laundering and false accounting, after allegations of a £60m Saudi "slush fund".

...BAe Systems - one of the main exhibitors at a major arms fair in London - was last year accused of running a £60m slush fund to pay bribes in connection with the £20 billion Al Yamamah arms-for-oil deal between the UK and Saudi Arabia under Margaret Thatcher.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1942152005

[gratuitous]

10. Golly conservatives and corruption

Who'da thunk it?

[Say_What]

11. Maggie and pal dictator Pinochet...

perhaps Delay has funds in Riggs Banks too.

[emad]

36. Exactly!

Same smell. Same old crooks. Now Delay's turn to writhe in shame.

[SpiralHawk]

13. Favours for Freebies ! A Meme with Mojo

I love it -- Delay's Royal Favours for Freebies Tour

[jazzjunkysue]

14. The euro press will make mucho dinero out of this. Good luck to

B***co to keep this one quiet.


:rofl:

Europe is megga pissed at us, and this will be premier, grade A, gold-pressed-latinum fodder for a while.

My feet are tiring from all this happy dancing.

Do dems know how to party this much????

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:


:applause:

[Mz Pip]

15. Maggie and Tommy

sitting in a tree.
K I S S ING.

First came love
Then came marriage
THen came Maggie with a baby carriage.

What does all of this mean? He got perks to play golf in London?

Mz Pip
:dem:

[jazzjunkysue]

16. We need a champagne bottle smiley!

The top pops off, and it overflows. Yes!!!

[RSchewe]

18. Explosive? Wow, this must be B I G ... Boom!

Either that, or someone is being very ALARMIST. Let's just see if it is that big. Knowing how much of a character he is, the sky is the limit. Sorry, couldn't resist the "Explosive" headline from The Raw Story people. I feel like setting off a blockbuster now.

[never cry wolf]

19. um what raw story people?

The headline is from the Mirror.

[NVMojo]

20. yep, bet it's connected to her son!!!

[Roland99]

21. The one up on charges for attempting to launch a coup in Africa?

Something about oil rights, if I'm not mistaken?

[savemefromdumbya]

29. link

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/08/25/thatcher.arrest/

[I_am_Spartacus]

23. Maggie's son is a weapons dealer.

[cal04]

30. Corruption probe to query Thatcher

A spokesman for Lady Thatcher confirmed that she had been contacted by police on the subject of Mr DeLay but denied any wrongdoing.

Conservative Party prime minister from 1979 to 1990, she will celebrate her 80th birthday on Thursday.

Her son, Sir Mark Thatcher, 51, pleaded guilty in January to violating anti-mercenary laws in South Africa, saying he had unwittingly helped men who had plotted to stage a coup in the west African country of Equatorial Guinea.

He paid a three-million-rand fine ($619,000) and was given a four-year suspended prison sentence.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16797371%255E1702,00.html

[emad]

32. Thatcher quizzed on Tom DeLay links: The Scotsman

The Metropolitan Police have been asked to question the former Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher, as part of a US corruption investigation, according to a leaked official document.

According to the Whitehall document obtained by the Mirror, the US authorities lodged a request for information about a meeting she held with the US Republican Congressman Tom DeLay five years ago.

--------------------

A spokesman for Lady Thatcher confirmed that police had contacted her office in order to "clarify" details of her meeting with Mr DeLay during a visit he made to Britain in May 2000.

"Those details were clarified. That was the substance of it. It was merely factual. There was no indication at all that there was anything at all other than that," the spokesman said.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2029532005

[JoFerret]

49. Good luck

...reportedly she has advancing dementia.

[redacted]

34. Lady Thatcher embroiled in US corruption probe (Times of London)

The US Justice Department is seeking to question Baroness Thatcher as part of a high-level inquiry into allegations of a "flights-for-favours" corruption scandal at Congress.

Officials have asked the Metropolitan Police to question the former Tory Prime Minister over a meeting she held with leading Republican Tom DeLay in the UK in 2000.

The request, revealed in a leaked Home Office document, forms part of a probe into allegations that congressmen received free foreign holidays from lobby groups in return for influencing legislation.

A spokesman for Lady Thatcher today confirmed that police had contacted her office in order to "clarify" details of a meeting with Mr DeLay in Britain in May 2000

more

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1809220,00.html

[redacted]

35. Thatcher questioned in US investigation (Guardian UK)

by Mark Oliver
Monday October 3, 2005

Baroness Thatcher has been questioned as part of a US corruption investigation into one of the Republican party's most senior congressmen, it emerged today.

She was contacted by the Metropolitan police at the request of US authorities investigating congressman Tom DeLay, who she met while he was on a trip to London in May 2000.

There is no suggestion Lady Thatcher has been accused of any wrongdoing.

The former prime minister's spokesman said she had not been paid for meeting Mr DeLay, and added that it was normal for her to have courtesy calls with visiting members of the US Congress.

more

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1583949,00.html?gusrc=rss

[converted_democrat]

37. Damn, this just gets bigger, and more interesting at every turn. n/t

[seafan]

38. Manchester Evening News: Lady Thatcher in US corruption probe

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/176/176363_lady_thatcher_in_us_corruption_probe.html

[lovuian]

39. Is it a Delay mafia connection its International!!!

You see the interlinkage between England so intwined!!!

[redacted]

40. KICK

[emad]

42. ***!

?

[emad]

43. FreeRepublic pulls thread on this one!!!

Try googling "Thatcher, Delay":
and you get:

Secret paper links Thatcher to freebies probe
A DOCUMENT linking Margaret Thatcher to a US corruption probe is so ...The 79-year-old former Premier is said to have met Congressman Tom DeLay in Britain ...
www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1495463/posts - 13k - 2 Oct 2005 - Cached - Similar pages

AND you get:
"This thread has been pulled."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1495463/posts

[Ksec]

47. fascists.

[yellowcanine]

44. All that probing going on somebody is going to get fucked.

[IntravenousDemilo]

46. Can the Queen rescind a knighthood?

Just asking. That would be scrumptious.

[emad]

50. Yes. ANY monarch-conferred honor can be taken away. BUT

there would have to be a damned good legal case.

[lonestarnot]

51. Very interestingggggg.