Posted on 11/02/2010 11:54:13 AM PDT by a fool in paradise
...Prosecutors contend that the former House majority leader used his PAC to illegally funnel $190,000 in corporate donations into Texas legislative races eight years ago.
DeLay, who was spending Election Day in court, is charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He has denied any wrongdoing. If convicted, Delay could face up to life in prison...
Ceverha said corporate funds had been gathered to pay for the PAC's administrative costs and not for candidates.
...The money helped Republicans in 2002 take control of the Texas House. That majority allowed Republicans to push through a congressional redistricting plan engineered by DeLay that sent more Texas Republicans to Congress in 2004 and strengthened DeLay's political stature, prosecutors said.
...DeLay's attorneys have said the charges are politically motivated by former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who brought the original case but has since retired. Earle is a Democrat. Prosecutors deny the charges are politically motivated.
His defense team also worried about the trial being held in Austin — the most Democratic city in one of the most Republican states — and its timing, with testimony beginning a day before Tuesday's contentious midterm elections. DeLay has been pressing for a trial since he was indicted five years ago, but the case was slowed by appeals of pretrial rulings.
...But the criminal charges in Texas, as well as a separate federal investigation of his ties to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, ended his 22-year political career representing suburban Houston. The Justice Department has since ended its federal investigation into DeLay's ties to Abramoff without filing any charges against DeLay.
Ellis and Colyandro, who face lesser charges, will be tried later. A previous charge alleging they and DeLay had engaged in a conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws was dismissed...
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Ping.
Who are the people behind Mr Earle's witchhunt, AP?
Just remember that before that 2002 election, the GOP could win more than 57% of the vote and still be a minority party.
All of the other charges against DeLay have been dropped except these charges from the Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle - a partisan political hack. Austin being Austin, I doubt that the person that replaced him is any less of a partisan hack.
Ronnie Earle ran for office this year (Lt.Governor?) but couldn’t even make it past the Democrat primary.
$190,000 is a pittance compared to the cash thrown around by leftist groups, unions and Democrats.
Chris Bell (Houston-D) is the wimp who filed the ethics charge against Tom DeLay. Mr. Bell is a three time loser. He couldn't win a mayor's race, couldn't win a Representative race, and couldn't win the governor's race.
The dirty little secret is that Chris Bell's seat was NOT redistricted to seat a Republican. Chris Bell lost his seat to a black Democrat which reflected changing demographics.
Much easier to talk about Republican "conspiracies" to "steal" seats and to "buy seats with crooked money" than to admit that Chris Bell is a racist who lost his seat to a black man.
This is what happens when Democrats are in charge, real crimes go unpunished but they punish their 'enemies'(Obama).
Let's see, $190,000 in separate legal transactions vs. BILLIONS of DOLLARS to your CRONIES and DEM STATES and ORGANIZATIONS by sitting politicians... All legal and fairly vote upon... wink wink.
These Jurors are NOT stupid. They will follow the money.
Best case scenario - hope for a RONNIE EARLE indictment.
Tom Delay is still not a criminal...
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