DeLay indicted in campaign finance probe

[Kasca]

The Wheels of Justice grind slow but sure:

DeLay indicted in campaign finance probe
House majority leader to step down, 2 associates also face charges

BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:35 p.m. ET Sept. 28, 2005


WASHINGTON - A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, forcing the House majority leader to temporarily relinquish his post.

DeLay attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay’s national political committee.

“I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County district attorney today,” DeLay said.

GOP congressional officials said Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., will recommend that Rep. David Dreier of California step into those duties. Some of the duties may go to the GOP whip, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri. The Republican rank and file may meet as early as Wednesday night to act on Hastert’s recommendation.

Possible two-year sentence
The charge carries a potential two-year sentence, which forces DeLay to step down under House Republican rules.

“The defendants entered into an agreement with each other or with TRMPAC (Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee) to make a political contribution in violation of the Texas election code,” says the four-page indictment. “The contribution was made directly to the Republican National Committee within 60 days of a general election.”

The indictment accused DeLay of a conspiracy to "knowingly make a political contribution" in violation of Texas law outlawing corporate contributions. It alleged that DeLay's political action committee accepted $155,000 from companies, including Sears Roebuck, and placed the money in an account.

The PAC then wrote a $190,000 check to an arm of the Republican National Committee and provided the committee a document with the names of Texas state House candidates and the amounts they were supposed to received in donations.

The indictment included a copy of the check.

The indictment against the second-ranking, and most assertive Republican leader came on the final day of the grand jury’s term. It followed earlier indictments of a state political action committee founded by DeLay and three of his political associates.

'Political payback'
Kevin Madden, DeLay’s spokesman, dismissed the charge as politically motivated.

“This indictment is nothing more than prosecutorial retribution by a partisan Democrat,” Madden said, referring to prosecutor Ronnie Earle, a Democrat.

“We regret the people of Texas will once again have their taxpayer dollars wasted on Ronnie Earle’s pursuit of headlines and political paybacks,” Madden said.

The grand jury action is expected to have immediate consequences in the House, where DeLay is largely responsible for winning passage of the Republican legislative program. House Republican Party rules require leaders who are indicted to temporarily step aside from their leadership posts.

However, DeLay retains his seat representing Texas’ 22nd congressional district, suburbs southwest of Houston.

DeLay has denied committing any crime and accused Earle of pursuing the case for political motives.

Democrats have kept up a crescendo of criticism of DeLay’s ethics, citing three times last year that the House ethics committee admonished DeLay for his conduct.

Earlier, DeLay attorney Bill White told reporters, “It’s a skunky indictment if they have one.”

As a sign of loyalty to DeLay after the grand jury returned indictments against three of his associates, House Republicans last November repealed a rule requiring any of their leaders to step aside if indicted. The rule was reinstituted in January after lawmakers returned to Washington from the holidays fearing the repeal might create a backlash from voters.

Ethics baggage
DeLay, 58, also is the center of an ethics swirl in Washington. The 11-term congressman was admonished last year by the House ethics committee on three separate issues and is the center of a political storm this year over lobbyists paying his and other lawmakers’ tabs for expensive travel abroad.

Wednesday’s indictment stems from a plan DeLay helped set in motion in 2001 to help Republicans win control of the Texas House in the 2002 elections for the first time since Reconstruction.

A state political action committee he created, Texans for a Republican Majority, was indicted earlier this month on charges of accepting corporate contributions for use in state legislative races. Texas law prohibits corporate money from being used to advocate the election or defeat of candidates; it is allowed only for administrative expenses.

With GOP control of the Texas legislature, DeLay then engineered a redistricting plan that enabled the GOP take six Texas seats in the U.S. House away from Democrats — including one lawmaker switching parties — in 2004 and build its majority in Congress.



URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9507677/

[Captain_Solo]

I really hope that smug bastard gets crucified. DeLay stands alongside Clinton, Pelosi, and Schumer as people in the Congress that I wish would be humiliated into early retirement.

[Kasca]

I really hope that smug bastard gets crucified.

>>>Let's hope the tide has been turned,

----------------------------------------------------

DeLay stands alongside Clinton, Pelosi, and Schumer as people in the Congress that I wish would be humiliated into early retirement.

>>>Like a lot of politicans Clinton, Pelosi and Schumer are ambitious and opportunistic and I wouldn't vote for any of them but they're not criminals. Delay is purely corrupt.

[Buzzsaw]

>>>Let's hope the tide has been turned

I know you're quite active in Democratic politics so I'll give you a bit of advice, whether you want it or not.

You'll never be able to win simply by trying to attack, belittle, indict or otherwise damage the opposition. At some point you have to come up with some winning ideas and candidates of your own. Until you do that, you'll always be in the losers circle. The Democrats used to know how to do this. They don't anymore.

If you take down Delay, then down he goes. But it's not like a Democrat will take his place. And no one really likes him anyway.

[kgb]

I know you're quite active in Democratic politics so I'll give you a bit of advice, whether you want it or not.

You'll never be able to win simply by trying to attack, belittle, indict or otherwise damage the opposition. At some point you have to come up with some winning ideas and candidates of your own. Until you do that, you'll always be in the losers circle. The Democrats used to know how to do this. They don't anymore.

If you take down Delay, then down he goes. But it's not like a Democrat will take his place. And no one really likes him anyway.

I completely agree with you there.

It's worth noting, however, that the Republicans are starting to lose their self-proclaimed "party of morality" status fast. They won't have that page in their playbook once the shit really goes down with the Rove leak and Frist scandals.

Both parties suck. I'd rather have the one which thinks its above it all be discredited the most. Lately it's been the Republicans.

[Kasca]

You'll never be able to win simply by trying to attack, belittle, indict or otherwise damage the opposition. At some point you have to come up with some winning ideas and candidates of your own.

>>>Old Republican talking points.

------------------------------------------------

Until you do that, you'll always be in the losers circle. The Democrats used to know how to do this. They don't anymore.

>>>How about this for a winning idea~let's not lie and take the country to war. Or here's another~how about health care for Americans first, -then- illegal aliens? How about we provide a funded education system and really not leave any child behind? How about education, not incarceration? How about not appointing cronies? How about paper ballots?

-------------------------------------------------

If you take down Delay, then down he goes. But it's not like a Democrat will take his place. And no one really likes him anyway.

>>>>Why would you think I wouldn't want a crooked Democrat taken down? Only the Republicans defend criminality, going so far to change the ethics rules to keep an indited Majority leader in office. It would be neat if an honest Republican could take his place.

[Buzzsaw]

I see my sage-like wisdom was lost on Kasca. Relax, sweetheart. The bastard will probably still wind up getting over anyway.

[Ultra Swain]

Don't blame me I voted for Lyndon Larouche!

[Tarkan]

As soon as Delay said that Congressional leaders had cut all the fat there was to cut in the budget, it was time to hang him out to dry.

That being said, his indictment IS politically motivated and will go nowhere. If he's convicted, you'll end up having to throw out half of Congress (and I'm not talking about the Republican half).

[Kasca]

I see my sage-like wisdom was lost on Kasca. Relax, sweetheart. The bastard will probably still wind up getting over anyway.

>>>>The House of Cards has begun to fall.

[kgb]

As soon as Delay said that Congressional leaders had cut all the fat there was to cut in the budget, it was time to hang him out to dry.

That being said, his indictment IS politically motivated and will go nowhere. If he's convicted, you'll end up having to throw out half of Congress (and I'm not talking about the Republican half).

I appreciate your optimism, but the Republican party's fucked from here on out.

The Democrats have been fucked for awhile so the Republicans will only be joining the club.

Bring back Perot!

[kilroy]

How about this for a winning idea~let's not lie and take the country to war. Or here's another~how about health care for Americans first, -then- illegal aliens? How about we provide a funded education system and really not leave any child behind? How about education, not incarceration? How about not appointing cronies? How about paper ballots?

i think buzz's point was that if you wish to gain support for a party you have to do better than to say 'we're for not doing what the opposition wants to do'. you have to actually come up with plans rather than just naysaying. you know like, instead of saying 'we dont want the no child left behind act' democrats should attempt to further an a plan of their own for education. once that consists of more than "not what the republicans are doing".

[Kasca]

Bring back Perot!

>>>Precisely. Another viable third party. "You're the Boss and I'm just Ross."

[Kasca]

i think buzz's point was that if you wish to gain support for a party you have to do better than to say 'we're for not doing what the opposition wants to do'. you have to actually come up with plans rather than just naysaying. you know like, instead of saying 'we dont want the no child left behind act' democrats should attempt to further an a plan of their own for education. once that consists of more than "not what the republicans are doing".

>>>First of all, it's -not- Buzzsaw's point. It's an old Repubican talking point that's meant to emotionally manipulate those who would point out lies and corruption in the government.

------------------

ou know like, instead of saying 'we dont want the no child left behind act' democrats should attempt to further an a plan of their own for education

>>>Agreed. Unfortunately many Democrats supported that bill, but thought it would be funded.

[Ultra Swain]

As soon as Delay said that Congressional leaders had cut all the fat there was to cut in the budget, it was time to hang him out to dry.

That being said, his indictment IS politically motivated and will go nowhere. If he's convicted, you'll end up having to throw out half of Congress (and I'm not talking about the Republican half).

The D.A. that indicted him has 15 political cases in his past 11 out of the 15 cases were against democrats. When you are that corrupt and yet love the sight of yourself on television you are making a target of yourself. The only way he could hold his position prior to his indictment
was to have the ethics commitee lower its ethics standards.

Plus wasn't the aide of one of his conspirators murdered by the mafia?
Going nowhere? Maybe if the GOP can muster up another terror scare.
Give up the ghost, this is way worse than a blowjob.