Tony Rudy

Background

Tony C. Rudy attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the late 1980s, a conservative student leader with fellow student Brian Darling, who also later became a prominent Congressional aide embroiled in controversy. Rudy worked on Capitol Hill for eight years, first for California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who had a reputation as one of the most libertarian Republicans in Congress, before leaving to attend law school. Rudy then went on to work for more than five years in DeLay's office.

While working for Rohrabacher, Rudy met his future wife, Lisa, who was also employed as a staffer in Rohrabacher's office. The couple would marry in August 1995.

During his time working for DeLay, who was known as a conservative Republican, in contrast to the often libertarian-leaning Rohrabacher, Rudy served as press secretary, policy director, and finally deputy chief of staff, while DeLay progressed within the Republican Congressional leadership from congressman to Majority Whip to Majority Leader. DeLay lauded Rudy in a Congressional floor speech on December 15, 2000, just before Rudy left to work with Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm.

Rudy originally came to Washington, D.C. to work for conservative and libertarian groups. He quickly immersed himself in Republican party politics, before leaving Capitol Hill to attend law school at George Mason University, in nearby Arlington, Virginia, between 1992 and 1995. At GMU, he served as head of the Federalist Society. He would later win the 2nd Year Student Moot Court Championship, which was a type of law school debate competition between various two-member teams. After graduating from law school and passing the Virginia bar, Rudy was hired by DeLay, after being recommended by Rohrabacher.

Influence peddling

Rudy's March 2006 guilty plea on a charge of conspiracy covered payments from Abramoff clients and associates to Liberty Consulting, a political firm founded by Rudy's wife, Lisa. In October 2005, the Washington Post reported that Rudy, while on DeLay's staff, helped scuttle a bill opposed by eLottery Inc., an Abramoff client, and that Abramoff had eLottery pay Toward Tradition to hire Liberty Consulting," Susan Schmidt and James Grimaldi, reported in the November 26, 2005, Washington Post.

Insider trading

While a DeLay staffer, Rudy traded hundreds of thousands of shares of stocks from his work computer in 1999 and 2000. From House disclosure forms it is impossible to determine whether Rudy profited or if he used insider knowledge. It is not illegal for Congressional staffers to trade upon insider legislative knowledge, although Louise Slaughter has introduced a bill banning the practice.

DeLay loyalist

"[F]ormer Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Rudy, quoted while in his former employ with the Alexander Strategy Group, told National Journal, "There is a lot of discussion about how we can help Republican candidates and expand the majority". As for DeLay, Rudy added, 'As long as he wants me, I'll be there for him.' ..."

No list of top Washington lobbyists "is complete without Rudy, lobbyist extraordinaire."

2000 Florida recount

"Four of Abramoff's colleagues — all of whom have left Greenberg [Traurig] in the wake of investigations surrounding Abramoff’s activities — were foot soldiers in the Florida recount. Two of them bragged of their recount work on their official online Greenberg biographies, which have since been removed," John Byrne reported in the May 5, 2005, edition of Raw Story.

"Shawn Vasell noted that he was a 'team leader' in Broward and Duval counties in his bio; Duane Gibson was photographed in the acclaimed Brooks Brothers riot of Republican operatives outside the Miami-Dade County polling headquarters; Todd Boulanger boasted of being on the Broward and Duval recount team in his profile. Rudy was also on the ground.

"Boulanger drafted a letter DeLay signed urging the Interior Department to favor Abramoff's client in June 2003 — a letter cosigned by the House Republican leadership, including Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO)," Byrne wrote.

Suspension of Virginia law license

On August 4, 2006, the Virginia State Bar issued the following notice:

Tony Charles Rudy, VSB Docket No. 07-000-0275 Effective July 31, 2006, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board summarily suspended Tony Charles Rudy’s license to practice law in Virginia. The suspension arises from Mr. Rudy’s guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. The board ordered Mr. Rudy to appear before it on August 25, 2006, to determine whether revocation or further suspension of his license to practice law is appropriate.

On November 17, 2006, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board revoked Rudy's license to practice law.