Honor Among Thieves

Hey, Tom, how does this feel?

AUSTIN - A company that made a $50,000 contribution to a Republican political action committee has agreed to cooperate with a state investigation into possible illegal campaign contributions in exchange for the dismissal of charges against it, according to a motion approved by a judge Thursday.

Diversified Collections Services, Inc. was one of eight corporations accused of giving a total of $190,000 to Texans for a Republican Majority during the 2002 legislative campaign. The use of corporate money for political purposes is illegal in Texas.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said in the motion to dismiss that the company agreed to cooperate with the state "in its prosecution of any other indicted person for any offense related to the corporate contribution."

If that name, Diversified Collections Services, looks familiar, it's probably because I posted about them a couple days ago, as part of the story on IRS collections being farmed out to private debt collectors. Less than 24 hours after the President signed the bill with their provision in it, they are making this announcement with Ronnie Earle. To quote from the bully on the Simpsons, "Haw-haw!" The only thing that would make it sweeter is if their testimony actually provides the details that takes DeLay himself down. The downside, of course, is that their stupid provision is now law.