Probe May Force Delay To Step Down (Texas Witch Hunt)

UPI ^ | 3-25-04

[dogbyte12]

WASHINGTON, March 25 (UPI) -- House Republican leader Tom DeLay of Texas is reportedly discussing temporarily stepping down from his post if he is indicted.

A Texas grand jury is investigating him for alleged campaign finance abuses.

Roll Call reported Thursday the conservative majority leader has begun quiet discussions with a handful of colleagues about the possibility, which would be required under Republican conference rules.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, has been conducting an investigation into whether Texans for a Republican Majority, a non-profit group and related political action committee with ties to DeLay, broke Texas law during the 2002 state legislative elections by using corporate donations.

If indicted, DeLay would be allowed to return to his leadership post if cleared of the charges, reduced to a non-felony, or if they were dismissed by the court.

DeLay has denied any wrongdoing, decrying the inquiry as a politically motivated witch hunt.

House Republicans argue that the move is an act of vengeance following the successful GOP redistricting effort in the state, which was lead by DeLay.

[dogbyte12]

House rules state that if you are indicted for a felony that carries a sentence of 2 years or more, if convicted, you have to step aside from your leadership position, until you are acquited. This bites.

[Arrowhead1952]

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat

This is the biggest problem in Texas. A county DA being allowed to conduct and an investigation of a State Official just because the capitol of Texas is in Travis County.

[TheBigB]

Earle tried his darndest to push a bunch of BS charges onto Kay Bailey Hutchinson ten years ago, just after she was elected. She stood up to him and he melted.

[Old Sarge]

would be required under Republican conference rules.

What about if he goes by Democrat conference rules, which clearly state that YOU STAY UNTIL THEY DRAG YOUR BLEEDING CARCASS OUT THE DOOR!

[COEXERJ145]

Standard Democrat tactic. When you can't win by honest means, do any and everything you can to drag down your opponent including trumped up charges.

[familyofman]

Is this in any way related to the "ham sandwich" theory of indictments?

[Solson]

Time to start in earnest on opposition research of Mr. Earle.

[Condor51]

Witch hunt is right.
"The Hammer" wouldn't think of doing anything illegal, as he knows all the RATS are after him. Heck, they'd arrest him for double parking if they could -- Because he scares the HELL out of them!

[jpsb]

Bump!

[kcvl]

Ronnie Earle

[Fred Hayek]

That was a fishing trip done at the behest of "Ma" Richards.

[NYC Republican]

This is clearly a ploy to make any GOP members cower, and NEVER challenge the liberal slime... DeLay's been the only one who consistently supports Bush, and consistenly supports (actively, visibly, vocally) conservative causes... This is nothing more than trying to shout down our collective voices!

[NYC Republican]

Have you seen this??? Wow! This would be very damaging to our cause, DeLay is FANTASTIC!

[bayourod]

The Texas legislature needs to remove the special authority of the Travis County DA over campaign law offenses.

[Arrowhead1952]

That was a fishing trip done at the behest of "Ma" Richards.

That B!+c# needs to STFU. Wonder if we can send her and Earle to Mars?

[onyx]

Interested to get your Texan takes on this?

[goldstategop]

Yep. The Democrats want Tom Delay's scalp.

[Monty22]

If Delay's out, the AWB will almost certainly be passed, for perm too.

[Just mythoughts]

Very interesting, lying crooked liberals collect money from "RED Chinese" and had "no controlling legal authority" and now SOROS is funding lying crooked liberals.

Ain't campaign finance reform grand, McCAIN/Feingold!

[TheSarce]

Some FReeper was circulating this Resolution to be considered for the State Republican Party Platform right before our recent primaries. I copied it and got it passed at my Precinct Convention (actually ALL my resolutions passed, since I was the only one who attended, LOL!). I hope others got it passed in their precincts as well, and I guess we'll see what happens Saturday at my Senate/District Convention.

I am new to this convention stuff, can delegates still submit this to their S/D conventions this Saturday if they haven't already been submitted at Precinct level? Might be worth a try, I just don't know all the rules. Anyway, I thought it was a good one, Earle is an extremely biased, partisan attack dog with way too much power.

Wish I could remember who posted this resolution originally! Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of the source.

(Arrowhead, when are you going to come to one of our HOT Chapter meetings? FReepmail Gracey to get on the list if you aren't already.)

---

[A Resolution] CALLING ON TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO TRANSFER PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT FROM TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO OFFICE OF THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL

Whereas, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has launched another baseless partisan witch hunt against Republicans under the guise of investigating the 2002 elections; and

Whereas, in the past, state newspapers have accused Earl's office of "selective partisanship" (Houston Chronicle, 4/24/92); conducting investigations that are "politically motivated" (Dallas Morning News, 6/12/93), "horribly mishandled," on "legally shaky grounds" (HC, 2/12/94), and covered beneath a "partisan cloud" (HC, 6/13/93); using a "double standard" for Democrats and Republicans (HC 6/13/93); creating the "impression of partisan unfairness" by leaking information about Republicans (DMN, 9/28/93); and illegally releasing confidential grand jury testimony to the media (Dallas Observer, 6/23/94); and

Whereas, the investigative powers of the Public Integrity Unit are arbitrarily assigned to the Travis County District Attorney's Office based solely on geography, and no other District Attorney in the state is given such uthority; and

Whereas, the Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer in the state of Texas and is better suited to ensure the integrity of state government; and

Whereas, the State of Texas allocates nearly $1 million per biennium to the Travis County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit, and Texas taxpayers would likely realize significant savings by transferring the Unit's authority to the Office of the Attorney General, where attorneys already are employed for such purposes; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, the xxxx County Precinct xxxx convention calls on the Texas Legislature to remove state funding for the Public Integrity Unit from the Travis County District Attorney; and be it further

Resolved, the xxxx County Precinct xxxx convention calls on the Texas Legislature to pass legislation transferring the authority of the Public Integrity Unit from the Travis County District Attorney to the Office of the Attorney General.