Delay indicted! House Majority Leader has been indicted ... (merged threads)

[rick_reno]

Delay indicted!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092801038.html

HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas grand jury is deciding whether to indict U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay on conspiracy charges related to fund-raising activities by a political action committee he created, the Austin American-Statesman said on Wednesday.

If indicted, DeLay would be required under Republican Party rules to leave his leadership post, but he could remain in Congress.


The Travis County grand jury had met on Tuesday and was expected to take a secret vote on Wednesday in the state capital, Austin, the newspaper said. The article cited lawyers close to the case.

DeLay, who represents a Houston-area district, has been under investigation by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle for possible illegal fund-raising and use of corporate funds by his Texans for a Republican Majority committee, or

TRMPAC.

Texas law generally prohibits corporate money from campaign activities.

Three men -- John Colyandro, Jim Ellis and Warren Robold -- with links to DeLay and the committee were indicted last year in the case and are awaiting trial. They were charged with accepting a total of $600,000 in illegal corporate contributions.

On September 8, TRMPAC and lobby group Texas Association of Business were indicted on charges of illegally funneling corporate donations into the 2002 elections for Texas Legislature.

TRMPAC's money and expertise helped Republicans win control of the Texas legislature for the first time since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era.

At DeLay's urging, the legislature then conducted a controversial remapping of congressional districts that resulted in more Republicans from Texas being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

DeLay has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was not involved in TRMPAC's day-to-day activities. His office declined to comment on the Austin newspaper report.

DeLay has repeatedly accused Earle, a Democrat, of conducting a political witch hunt. DeLay met with Earle several weeks ago to explain his limited role in the committee.

The grand jury, whose proceedings are not open to the public, has focused in recent days on DeLay's possible role in one particular transaction, the newspaper said.

In September 2002, Colyandro, TRMPAC's executive director, sent a blank check to Ellis, who was DeLay's primary fund-raiser in Washington.

According to a money-laundering indictment against the two men, Ellis is accused of having the Republican National Committee launder $190,000 of corporate donations into noncorporate money that was distributed to seven candidates for the Texas House of Representatives.

 

[riverdog]

He's not indicted yet. Is that wishful thinking on your part? Try being a bit less transparent.

 

[jobu07]

House Majority Leader has been indicted...

Well, do you fellas think this will change the republican agenda at all this coming year with a new majority leader in place?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170681,00.html

WASHINGTON — A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay (search) and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader.

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

 

[bountyhunter]

Yeah, the new agenda will be to pass some federal laws exempting republican senators from conspiracy charges.

It's about time they nailed that slimy SOB.

 

[rick_reno]

He's not indicted yet. Is that wishful thinking on your part? Try being a bit less transparent.

Check the news sources RiverDog - he has been indicted. And what gave you the idea that was "wishful thinking" on my part? I happen to have a lot of respect for the Speaker and think that using conspiracy charges to go after him is pushing the limits of the law.

A Texas grand jury today charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader. His attorney says 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.

 

[Werewolf]

I'm a big fan of Delay and his stance on a number of issues but if it turns out he's guilty - well - I hope they toss him into a deep dark hole and never let him out.

[cynic mode on]
As far as changing the Repubs agenda - maybe - but I doubt it. Pols come and pols go. They're all the same so what difference does it make one way or the other if a new one shows up.

 

[pax]

Merged threads.

pax

 

[rick_reno]

It's about time they nailed that slimy SOB.

Maybe, but "that slimy SOB" was a big player in killing the AWB. Mr. DeLay said the ban was "a sham that never worked" to reduce crime, and has served only to make sales more difficult for manufacturers.
Mr. DeLay, though, said the president doesn't factor into what Congress will or won't do on this issue.
"If the president asked me, it'd still be 'No,'?" Mr. DeLay said.

 

[DarthBubba]

As someone who lives in a county next to the Peoples Republic of Austin I can tell you that Ronnie Earl is nothing but an Uber-Liberal scumbag lawyer who has never gotten over the fact that his party lost elections.
Witch hunt is a mild description of his actions in the past and like all other things that his slimy hand has been in, the only reason for this is to further destabilize our all ready shaky government for his and his parties political gain.
Travis county is described, here in Texas at least as the Blue pimple on the Red A** of Texas. It would be hard to find a more liberal, Republican bashing, hemp clothes wearing, bunch of hippy dope smoking, Communist liberal greenie agenda, morons to get an indictment from.

(A pox on him and all who support him).

DarthBubba

 

[riverdog]

HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas grand jury is deciding whether to indict U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay on conspiracy charges. . .

Just reacting to the first line in your quote. "Is deciding" means it isn't a done deal. Looking at the current AP stories though, one headline reads "DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe" Now it's a done deal.

But before we too far ahead of ourselves, this is only an indictment, not a conviction. He isn't guilty yet.

 

[BA110N Man]

Delay - don't shoot the messenger

This is my first post and I don't want to be quarelsome or rude... but I had to throw my two-cents into this discussion.

I lived in Sugar Land for a while. I know Delay a little on a personal basis - not well - but a little better than people who just know him by the newpaper. He did represent the area fairly without too much consideration to the $$ side of the tracks. All that said, he does suffer from the same problems as any professional politician (either current or historical) but he is not the pandering theif that the media would have many believe.

The powers that be (media and otherwise) are constantly after this guy because he shines light on a number of the shenaigans the Dem's in Congress try to pull off and gives the local-state level Dem's a hard time. That's why his nickname in Congress is "The Hammer". Not because of his position but because he is constantly hammering on the Dem's.

It must always be remembered that Texas is like Colorado in that people in the rural area are generally conservative, but those in the towns and urban areas tend to be Socialialist-Liberals or Yellow-Dog-Democrates (generally from somewhere else!) The media is controlled by the urban areas and it pays a great deal of homage to the SL/YDD argument and point of view.

And NO -- I am not a Republican. I am closer to a Libertarian but do not align on party bias.

 

[bountyhunter]

As someone who lives in a county next to the Peoples Republic of Austin I can tell you that Ronnie Earl is nothing but an Uber-Liberal scumbag lawyer who has never gotten over the fact that his party lost elections.
Witch hunt is a mild description of his actions in the past and like all other things that his slimy hand has been in, the only reason for this is to further destabilize our all ready shaky government for his and his parties political gain.
Travis county is described, here in Texas at least as the Blue pimple on the Red A** of Texas. It would be hard to find a more liberal, Republican bashing, hemp clothes wearing, bunch of hippy dope smoking, Communist liberal greenie agenda, morons to get an indictment from.

Then this matter will be disposed of at the first dispositional hearing. If, as you say, this is a political "witch hunt" and the charges are baseless, the judge will dismiss them and all will be well again in Texas.

 

[bountyhunter]

one headline reads "DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe" Now it's a done deal.

But before we too far ahead of ourselves, this is only an indictment, not a conviction. He isn't guilty yet.

Yes, and it is widely known, a grand jury would indict a ham sandwich if the DA asked them to because the GJ hearings are one sided (no defense is offered to the charges).

However, if the charges are indeed unsupported by fact, it is a simple matter for Delay's attorney to demand a hearing before judge and make such a claim: if the judge agrees, the charges will be dropped. If not, then they have to go to trial or plead out.....

If you see it going to trial, that means a judge reviewed the case and did not agree with the "witch hunt" scenario.

 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Then this matter will be disposed of at the first dispositional hearing. If, as you say, this is a political "witch hunt" and the charges are baseless, the judge will dismiss them and all will be well again in Texas.

If you see it going to trial, that means a judge reviewed the case and did not agree with the "witch hunt" scenario.

This assumes that the judge is less biased than the District Attorney. If what I hear about the neighborhood is correct, we have little reason to expect this to be the case.

Witch hunt indeed...

Kinda scary to see the courts wielded as a weapon against political adversaries. But I guess that's all you can do when you can't defeat his politics or his constituents. Kill the messenger, and all that...

Makes me glad I'm not a politician.

 

[BryanP]

Maybe, but "that slimy SOB" was a big player in killing the AWB.

Which is completely irrelevant. If he is guilty and if he is convicted then the fact that I agree with him on certain issues doesn't mean I won't want him thrown out of office and into jail.

That said (tm) , I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until the verdict comes back.

.

 

[El Tejon]

Delay done got Rove'd (well, payback for what Rove did to the Democrats down there years ago)!

Don't mess with Texas, or the Texas Establishment, as they do like payback in spades down there.

 

[Waitone]

DeLay--Indicted
Frist--under investigation
Rove--nothing stuck

They may be all be crooked as a dog's hind leg. Let the courts sort out reality.

At a minimum, the Democrat's decapitation strategy is progressing nicely.

Now when is it spinelessrepublicans will learn to play hardball? I keep waiting.

 

[HankB]

DarthBubba - as one who lives in Travis County, albeit outside the actual city limits of Austin, I must take exception to your characterization of Ronnie Earle.

From what you've written I believe you're being FAR too kind and obviously hold him in higher esteem than he merits.

For those who don't know, a couple of years ago Earle did a number of things - purportedly, some of them were quite shifty - in order to obtain an indictment against a TX concealed weapon license holder on felony charges for shooting a gang-banger who'd broken in to his (the CHL holder's) girlfriend's car. The case went to trial before a jury which ultimately returned a "Not Guilty" verdict in about 15 minutes, which may well be a record for the shortest deliberation of any jury in a felony case heard in Travis County.

Earle was quite unhappy, and mouthed off afterwards . . .

 

[Ian]

It's ok. We don't need DeLay any more; he already cut all the fat from the federal budget.

 

[Rockstar]

Not too difficult for a Democrat D.A. in ANY urban area to "find" a majority-Democrat grand jury.

 

[TheEgg]

Delay is a bit of a slimy SOB.

But what I know of Earle tells me that it is very likely that this is a political witch hunt.

We just need to wait and see. One problem for Delay is he is NOT a warm and fuzzy guy -- people will be tickled to see him in hot water for a while.

 

[afasano]

Maybe Delay should ask ted kennedy for advice, he got away with killing a girl from his office but he was right (left) on all of the issues.

 

[longeyes]

The GOP had better come to grips with the fact that they are in a war to death on the political front.

 

[bountyhunter]

DeLay--Indicted
Frist--under investigation
Rove--nothing stuck

Rove is not officially out of the woods on the Plame investigation yet... although, I am sure you are right he will get a pass. Pretty obvious since Bush declared before the JD started the investigation that we would "probably never find out who did it".....

Well, I think we did but nobody seems to be getting locked up for it.

 

[bountyhunter]

That said (tm) , I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until the verdict comes back.

Me too. If he is guilty, there will be an "Agnew" (if you remember that far back), which is that he will loudly proclaim his innocence and how the media is behind the attack and the Democrats are all lying, yadda, yadda, yadda......

And then he will quietly cop a plea to stay out of prison.

With any luck the Quacker-in-chief will give him a deathbed pardon if he does get convicted.