Sue Walden

Sue Walden, "a Houston public-relations professional" and political fundraiser [1], is the contact person and the custodian of records for Americans for Honesty on Issues, a 527 committee which is attacking Democrat candidates in U.S. congressional elections in 2006. [2]

Walden is a "close friend" of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay [3]. She was also a friend [4] of the late Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling of Enron fame, for which she worked as a lobbyist. Walden coordinated Lay's political fund-raising activities and helped raise $43,000 for George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign. [5]

Mayoral Couple

The September 20, 2001, issue of the HoustonPress featured Dave and Sue Walden as "Best Lobbyists":

"Between them they represent just about anything that could be considered establishment in Houston. Sue raised money for mayor Bob Lanier, handles incumbent Lee Brown's finances, and lobbies for energy giant Enron. Dave, a former chief of staff for County Judge Jon Lindsay and mayor Lanier, helped martial the stadium and arena forces in recent victorious referenda, and represents the Houston Astros and the new Houston Texans professional football team."

In 1996, it was reported that Dave Walden, after serving a "short stint with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison", had returned to work as an aid to Houston Mayor Bob Lanier. At that time, Sue Walden headed "the Harris County Citizens for Proposition One office and [was] raising the money [for Lanier's] campaign, [and] was chief fundraiser for Lanier's 1991 victory [working] closely with the mayor since."

In June 2003, Dave and Sue Walden, described as "City Hall lobbyists", were campaign advisers to Houston mayoral candidate Orlando Sanchez. [6]

External links

Profiles

• Bush Donor Profile: Sue Walden, Owner: Walden & Associates Communications, Houston, TX, Texans for Public Justice.
• Profile: Sue Walden, pledged to raise $100,000 in 2000, WhiteHouseforSale.org.

Articles & Commentary

• Bob Burtman, "The Usual Suspects. If Lanier aide Dave Walden isn't running the Prop One campaign, who is?" HoustonPress, October 24, 1996.
• "Best Lobbyists: Dave and Sue Walden," HoustonPress, September 20, 2001.
• "Liquid Assets: Enron's Dip into Water Business Highlights Pitfalls of Privatization." A special report by Public Citizen’s Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program, Washington, D.C., March 2002 (page 19).
• Tim Fleck and Brian Wallstin, "Enron's End Run. To make a mess as big as the Enron debacle, you need some friends in high places--Texas Senator Phil Gramm and his wife, for instance," Dallas Observer (Greenspun.com), February 7, 2002.
• Bill Murphy, "Enron movers tackle life in the meantime," Houston Chronicle, July 8, 2002.
• Charles Kuffner, "Mayoral Melee," Off the Kuff, June 18, 2003.
• Shelby Hodge, "It's party time, from here to D.C. and back again," Houston Chronicle, December 5, 2004: "Political consultant Sue Walden turned the heat up on holiday partying Thursday night with her fifth-annual bash for the softer side of the city's political and business circles. Lots of future campaign speculation, loads of laughs, food and music were on tap for the gathering of women movers and shakers."
• "Group Headed by Enron Lobbyist and Major Bush Contributor Supports Whalen," IowaDemocrats.org, October 9, 2006.
• John M. Broder, "As Election Nears, Groups Plan Negative Ads", New York Times, October 11, 2006.