Associated Press 
 
Financial carousel by DeLay shown 
 
October 6, 2005 
 
BY JOHN SOLOMON AND SHARON THEIMER 
 
 WASHINGTON -- Tom DeLay deliberately raised more money than he needed to throw parties at the 2000 presidential convention, then diverted some of the excess to longtime ally Roy Blunt through a series of donations that benefited both men's causes. 
 
 When the financial carousel stopped, DeLay's private charity, the consulting firm that employed DeLay's wife and the Missouri campaign of Blunt's son all ended up with money, according to campaign documents reviewed by The Associated Press. 
 
 The complicated transactions are drawing scrutiny after a grand jury indicted DeLay on charges of violating Texas law with a scheme to launder illegal corporate donations to state candidates. 
 
 The government's former chief election enforcement lawyer said the Blunt and DeLay transactions are similar to the Texas case and raise questions that should be investigated regarding whether donors were deceived or the true destination of their money was concealed. 
 
 "These people clearly like using middlemen for their transactions," said Lawrence Noble. ''It seems to be a pattern with DeLay funneling money to different groups, at least to obscure, if not cover, the original source." 
 
 Spokesmen for the two Republican leaders say they disclosed what was required by law at the time and believe all their transactions were legal, though donors might not always have known where their money was headed. 
 
AP