A children's charity established by House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) has been underwritten by several of the nation's largest companies, including some that routinely lobby lawmakers on issues before Congress, the New York Times reports.

The nineteen-year-old charity, the DeLay Foundation for Kids, which operates out of a post office box near DeLay's home in Texas, has consistently declined to identify its donors, citing their desire for privacy — and by law, it is not required to do so. But a review of corporate and charitable records shows that recent donors have included AT&T, the Corrections Corporation of America, Exxon Mobil, Limited Brands, and the Southern Company. One of the largest corporate gifts, $100,000, was given last year by the Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America, which manages federal prisons. In addition, AT&T and Exxon Mobil say they have each donated $50,000 to the organization. Lauren Kerr, a spokeswoman for Exxon Mobil, said it was natural that the company would want to aid a charity that helps troubled children in Houston, where it employs a majority of its work force.

Advocacy groups say that whatever its charitable purpose, the DeLay Foundation is also an important fundraising operation for the politician, some of whose activities are now being scrutinized by Congress and a state grand jury in Texas. The charity, advocacy groups add, allows corporate lobbyists and executives to curry favor with DeLay in a way that skirts campaign finance laws. "Having a good relationship with DeLay depends not just on funding his campaign committees and his political action committees, but also his pet causes," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an advocacy group that has investigated the DeLay Foundation.

There have been no charges that the donations to the foundation were illegal, however. In fact, DeLay and his wife have helped raise three foster children and have been praised for their commitment to abused children. "The majority leader has a long commitment to helping children," said DeLay's spokesman, Dan Allen. "He has a strong record that proves that."