Posted on 08/17/2010 9:46:07 PM PDT by DirtyHarryY2K
AUSTIN — Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Monday put the 5-year-old federal investigation into his relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff behind him and turned his attention to an impending trial on Texas ethics issues.
DeLay said federal prosecutors told his attorneys last week that he had been "cleared" of any criminal violations in their investigation of Abramoff.
The formerRepublican lawmaker, who represented Sugar Land from 1984 to 2006, also said he is ready for up to three days of pre-trial hearings slated to start Aug. 24 in Austin on a state money-laundering charge related to campaign finance issues from the 2002 elections.
"It was good news to hear from the Justice Department that I have been cleared," DeLay said in a conference call with reporters.
"I know this is the price of leadership, but frankly, it doesn't have to happen this way. I hope people will look at my case and decide the criminalization of politics and the politics of personal destruction is not beneficial to our country or our system."
Justice Department officials declined comment.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Bring The Hammer on.
It was my understanding that Texas passed the one remaining law Delay is accused of breaking after the event. It wasn’t even a crime when he did it.
“...but the seriousness of the CHARGE...” < /Houston Commiecle blather >
I know this; if the new conservative House members do not immediately go after Hussein, National Socialist Healthcare, Cap & Tax, his radical czars, Holder, Pelosi, corrupt rats, Fudge Vaughn Walker, etc, the day after the election, the rat media complex will once again frame the debate.
If the new members get boxed into discussing “GOP obstructionism, meanness, racism, extreme right wingers,” it will be over. Kiss off what is left of our pathetic republic.
They couldn’t handle the loss in Ad revenue if they ran both of these stories on the same day...
The “cleared” story Ibet ran wayyyyyyyy back in the paper, as this one ran front page above the fold...
The Houston Comical...”When you absolutely, positively need to line the bottom of your birdcage...”
If a fair prosecutor now is handling the case, this will be over in jig time.
Earle is a scum, and deserves disbarment. The Grand Jury
who indicted DeLay should be ashamed of themselves, especially the foreman who was a known Dem political hack
who brow beat the jurors to issue the indictment, and that was Earles 3rd grand jury empanelment.
The fix is still in, the judge said that if the prsecution can prove that Corporate donations were being hidden by the fund transfer process from Washington, then Delay is in jeopardy. Tis will be a battle of the accountants. No jury will convict DeLay if it is free and fair.
There are a number of charges and the judge dismissed the ooneinvolving the the law that had not been passed at the time of the alleged offence.
But the idea that Corporate donations that were sent to Wshington to the fedeeral campaign fund and then re-released to Texas candidates as if they were individuakl contributions is the argument that the Stae of Texas is making.
Only individual contributions can be used to fund Texas cadidates.Thus the money laundering charge. The fact is that Delay sent all of his Texas contributions to the federal campaign for re-release to Texas candidates, the question is whether more money was sent to those candidates than individuals gave.The state of Texas says it can prove that beyond a reasonable doubt. We will see what the jury says.
Thank you for posting a very accurate synopsis of DeLay getting the full Saul Alinsky treatment. They got rid of DeLay just as they did Newt - and if Boehner is our next Speaker, they’ll try to do it again.
Thanks for the additional info. Remember the to-Oklahoma-and-back tango the Democrats pulled? That was a real laugher. Each time a special session was called off they went.
I thought that the law DeLay was being charged with violating came after the alleged “transgression”.
The indictment has more than one charge. The one you mentioned was dismissed on a preliminary motion.The others will go to trial.
Bumping this good post of yours for old time’s sake
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