QUOTE
Weldon linked to lobbyist by grant
Former DeLay aide benefited from deal
BY JOHN McCARTHY
FLORIDA TODAY
April 14, 2006
Rep. Dave Weldon helped land $1.5 million for a Florida Tech project in 2004, which in turn benefited a former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay who is being investigated as part of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
Weldon, R-Indialantic, said he had no idea that Edwin Buckham, the DeLay aide turned lobbyist, had any stake in Map ROI, the company that partnered with Florida Tech in the university's National Center for Small Business Information.
In 2004, Weldon helped land a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to set up the program, which helps Florida small businesses bid on federal government contracts. The program called for a partnership of Florida Tech and Map ROI, a Virginia firm that produced software that small businesses could use to help navigate the complex process of bidding on government businesses.
Of the $1.5 million, about $500,000 went to Map ROI. Soon after news of the deal, the company landed nearly $3 million in new investments from venture capital firms.
At about the same time, the company's founder, Chris Stahl, awarded Buckham options on 500,000 shares of the company, which later merged with another company and changed its name to Synchris Inc.
Stahl no longer is involved in the operation of the company other than as a minority shareholder, Synchris CEO William Schrader told FLORIDA TODAY on
Thursday. Buckham's options remain in force until 2009, Schrader said.
Thanks to Buckham's close ties to DeLay, his Alexander Strategy Group lobbying firm was a Washington powerhouse. Among its staff members were DeLay's wife and another former DeLay aide, Tony Rudy. Last month, Rudy pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired with Abramoff to corrupt public officials and defraud his clients. Rudy agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
Buckham shut down the firm in January.
In 2002 or 2003, Terry Allen, another lobbyist from the firm, approached Weldon's chief of staff, Dana Gartzke, about Map ROI and its software, Weldon said. Stahl later met with Weldon to talk about his company and its software.
Weldon said he was intrigued by the concept, since one of the biggest complaints he gets from constituents is that it is difficult for small companies to do business with the federal government. Making it easier for small businesses to bid on government contracts would be good for small businesses in his district, Weldon said. The additional competition also would benefit taxpayers, he said, if it drove down the cost of government contracts.
"I thought this was a wonderful thing," he said. "I certainly had no idea Ed Buckham had stock in the company."
Weldon said one of the biggest benefits he saw was that it would allow small businesses to compete for government contracts without hiring a lobbyist.
"What is ironic is that I am trying to make it easier to do business with the government without a lobbyist," he said.
Weldon said he never talked to Buckham about the matter.
Weldon said he approached Florida Tech and encouraged the university to apply for a federal grant that would make the software available to small businesses here.
In 2004, the Labor Department awarded the university the grant. Weldon appeared at the press conference announcing the grant with Map ROI's Stahl and Florida Tech President Anthony Catanese.
The university was unaware of any of the company's lobbying ties, said Florida Tech spokesman Jay Wilson.
"We have never had any involvement with Tom DeLay or Ed Buckham," Wilson said.
About 100 people have gotten free licenses to use Map ROI's software through the Florida Tech program.
The small business center opened in February 2005 and by all accounts has been well-received.
More than 1,500 individuals from 250 companies have enrolled in classes that teach small businesses how to compete for federal contracts, Wilson said.
The Labor Department recently awarded the university $900,000 to continue the program for another year. None of that money will go to the software company, both Wilson and Weldon said.
The story about Weldon and Map ROI first appeared in Thursday's edition of the Los Angeles Times.
"My general impression is they are really reaching for bad news about Abramoff and DeLay," Weldon said. "I read the story and I said, 'They are desperate for mud.' "
Weldon said he is regularly approached by lobbyists for companies that have a large presence in Brevard County. He never asks if they have financial stakes in the company, he said. In fact, he generally assumes they do if they are company employees.
Former DeLay aide benefited from deal
BY JOHN McCARTHY
FLORIDA TODAY
April 14, 2006
Rep. Dave Weldon helped land $1.5 million for a Florida Tech project in 2004, which in turn benefited a former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay who is being investigated as part of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
Weldon, R-Indialantic, said he had no idea that Edwin Buckham, the DeLay aide turned lobbyist, had any stake in Map ROI, the company that partnered with Florida Tech in the university's National Center for Small Business Information.
In 2004, Weldon helped land a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to set up the program, which helps Florida small businesses bid on federal government contracts. The program called for a partnership of Florida Tech and Map ROI, a Virginia firm that produced software that small businesses could use to help navigate the complex process of bidding on government businesses.
Of the $1.5 million, about $500,000 went to Map ROI. Soon after news of the deal, the company landed nearly $3 million in new investments from venture capital firms.
At about the same time, the company's founder, Chris Stahl, awarded Buckham options on 500,000 shares of the company, which later merged with another company and changed its name to Synchris Inc.
Stahl no longer is involved in the operation of the company other than as a minority shareholder, Synchris CEO William Schrader told FLORIDA TODAY on
Thursday. Buckham's options remain in force until 2009, Schrader said.
Thanks to Buckham's close ties to DeLay, his Alexander Strategy Group lobbying firm was a Washington powerhouse. Among its staff members were DeLay's wife and another former DeLay aide, Tony Rudy. Last month, Rudy pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired with Abramoff to corrupt public officials and defraud his clients. Rudy agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
Buckham shut down the firm in January.
In 2002 or 2003, Terry Allen, another lobbyist from the firm, approached Weldon's chief of staff, Dana Gartzke, about Map ROI and its software, Weldon said. Stahl later met with Weldon to talk about his company and its software.
Weldon said he was intrigued by the concept, since one of the biggest complaints he gets from constituents is that it is difficult for small companies to do business with the federal government. Making it easier for small businesses to bid on government contracts would be good for small businesses in his district, Weldon said. The additional competition also would benefit taxpayers, he said, if it drove down the cost of government contracts.
"I thought this was a wonderful thing," he said. "I certainly had no idea Ed Buckham had stock in the company."
Weldon said one of the biggest benefits he saw was that it would allow small businesses to compete for government contracts without hiring a lobbyist.
"What is ironic is that I am trying to make it easier to do business with the government without a lobbyist," he said.
Weldon said he never talked to Buckham about the matter.
Weldon said he approached Florida Tech and encouraged the university to apply for a federal grant that would make the software available to small businesses here.
In 2004, the Labor Department awarded the university the grant. Weldon appeared at the press conference announcing the grant with Map ROI's Stahl and Florida Tech President Anthony Catanese.
The university was unaware of any of the company's lobbying ties, said Florida Tech spokesman Jay Wilson.
"We have never had any involvement with Tom DeLay or Ed Buckham," Wilson said.
About 100 people have gotten free licenses to use Map ROI's software through the Florida Tech program.
The small business center opened in February 2005 and by all accounts has been well-received.
More than 1,500 individuals from 250 companies have enrolled in classes that teach small businesses how to compete for federal contracts, Wilson said.
The Labor Department recently awarded the university $900,000 to continue the program for another year. None of that money will go to the software company, both Wilson and Weldon said.
The story about Weldon and Map ROI first appeared in Thursday's edition of the Los Angeles Times.
"My general impression is they are really reaching for bad news about Abramoff and DeLay," Weldon said. "I read the story and I said, 'They are desperate for mud.' "
Weldon said he is regularly approached by lobbyists for companies that have a large presence in Brevard County. He never asks if they have financial stakes in the company, he said. In fact, he generally assumes they do if they are company employees.
