DeLay Criticized for '94 Deposition
By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Aides to House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, assailing reports
questioning the truthfulness of statements he made in a civil deposition, on
Tuesday attributed the controversy to the congressman's ``political enemies.''
DeLay himself remained tight-lipped about questions that have been raised in
connection with a deposition he gave in 1994 in a lawsuit filed against him in
Texas by a former business partner.
The Texas Republican is among President Clinton's harshest critics in Congress
and was the first high-ranking GOP leader to call for Clinton's resignation.
DeLay has been particularly critical of Clinton's statements under oath about
the Monica Lewinsky affair.
In the Texas legal proceeding, DeLay testified that he had not been an officer
of Albo Pest Control Co. for two or three years. But three months after the
deposition, DeLay listed himself on congressional financial disclosure forms
as Albo's chairman.
The story was first reported by The New Republic. DeLay identified himself as
chairman of the company on financial disclosure forms covering 1991, 1992,
1993 and 1994. It was only in 1996, for disclosure forms covering the previous
year, that he no longer listed himself as chairman.
DeLay's aides initially dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and
said he would have no comment.
On Tuesday, DeLay's communications director, Michael Scanlon, issued a
statement saying: ``We were approached by news organizations 72 hours ago and
asked to respond to inquiries dating back over a decade. Our political enemies
have been digging into Mr. DeLay's past for years.''
DeLay's deposition came in a lawsuit by ex-partner Robert Blankenship, who
alleged that DeLay and another partner unjustly cut him out of the business.
The lawsuit ended in a confidential settlement in 1995.
During the deposition, portions of which appeared in The New Republic article,
DeLay backtracked after being pressed by Blankenship's attorney, Gerald
DeNisco. The congressman said he was uncertain whether he had ever formally
resigned as chairman.
DeNisco said he believed DeLay was attempting to limit his financial liability
by denying he was still an officer of the company. ``It would seem to me Mr.
DeLay was attempting to position himself out of harm's way,'' DeNisco said in
an interview with The Associated Press last week.
``Frankly, it's my opinion he lied to me under oath,'' DeNisco said.
