DeLay Indicted, Steps Down as Majority Leader

DeLay Was Invited to Testify - Friday 1.30 PM PDT

Updated at 11.35 PM PDT Thursday
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) has been indicted by a Texas grand jury, becoming the first House leader indicted in a century and the highest ranking member to face criminal charges. The charge is felony criminal conspiracy involving illegal corporate political donations. (see the indictment) According to the Houston Chronicle:

The indictment alleges that DeLay conspired with two of his political associates, John Colyandro of Austin and Jim Ellis of Virginia, to convert $190,000 in corporate money into individual campaign contributions through a transfer of funds using the Republican National Committee.

DeLay faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000; he stepped down as majority leader, as required by House rules. A move by House Republicans to change the rules to allow him to continue as Majority Leader if indicted created a hail storm of controversy last fall; two months later, the change was rescinded. Today, House Republicans promoted Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) to majority leader.

In June 2005, Texas District Judge Joe Hart (Austin) ruled that a political action committee (PAC) established by DeLay was guilty of failing to report $600,000 in contributions, primarily from corporations. Since 1905, Texas law has explicitly prohibited corporate or union donations to political campaigns.

In August, The Austin (TX) American Statesman reported that a Federal Election Commission audit found that Americans for a Republican Majority -- DeLay's "premier" political action committee -- "used more unregulated 'soft' money than was allowed for fund-raising and get-out-the-vote activities" in the 2002 election.

These monies helped Republicans take control of the state house in 2002. They then redrew the state's congressional district lines before the new Census; Democrats had blocked redistricting when they controlled the legislature. The redistricting -- very gerrymandered, in my opinion -- helped Republicans pick up six US House seats last fall.

These monies are also at the core of the felony conspiracy charge.

Delay's office denies any wrongdoing and asserts that the prosecutor has a vendetta:

"This is just another example of Ronnie Earle misusing his office for partisan vendettas,'' said Kevin Madden, DeLay's spokesman, referring to the Democratic Travis County district attorney who is leading the investigation. "Ronnie Earle refused to let the facts or the law get in the way of his partisan desire to indict a political foe.''

However, the indictment follows a pattern of questionable judgment. The House Ethics Committee admonished him three times last year, ABC reminds us.

In an afternoon press conference, Earle responded to these charges "by saying that he had for the most part tried throughout his career to afflict anybody who took advantage of their office." His record of prosecutions: Democrats, twelve; Republicans, four. An investigation of one high-profile Republican was dropped and one high-profile Democrat was acquitted, according to DeLay's office.

Earle insisted that this was not a partisan fight; he postponed retirement to see this three-year investigation through. Last fall, he said:

I think that democracy is at stake. The issue is whether large corporate interests can buy more democracy. If large monied interests can control elections, then the principle of 'one person, one vote' is meaningless...

The law says that making corporate contributions to a political campaign is a felony. My job is to prosecute felonies. I'm doing my job. Virtually every politician that I have ever investigated has said that the investigation is political, because what else are they going to say?

Media Matters points out that conservative watchdog groups have been also critical of DeLay.

Also, a Senate investigation is examining his ties to Jack Abramoff, a Republican lobbyist and fundraiser. Abramoff was indicted in the spring on federal conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud charges. Yesterday, the NY Times reported that the Justice Department and FBI are investigating "the demotion of a veteran federal prosecutor whose reassignment nearly three years ago shut down a criminal investigation of the Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff."

The Chronicle has selected quotes from political leaders, including Delay. See other reports from the the Austin Statesman, BBC, Reuters UK, USA Today, and the Washington Post.

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