Posted on 11/24/2010 3:18:25 PM PST by Non-Sequitur
For five years, the case against Tom DeLay for money laundering through his Texans for a Republican Majority PAC has been seemingly trapped in the Texas courts facing pre-trial appeals. On November 1, it finally made it to trial and today the verdict is in: guilty on both money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The slightly-less-than-humble DeLay lost his majority leadership in Congress after the indictment came down, but he has maintained his claims that this case was politically motivated throughout the entire process right up to defense attorney Dick DeGuerin's closing arguments.
The jury clearly didn't buy his argument and now DeLay is potentially facing life in prison on money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering charges. DeLay is accused of channeling $190,000 in corporate money through his Texans for a Republican Majority PAC in 2002 to aid GOP candidates.
But it's perfectly alright if the law itself is corrupt -- so complex, intrusive and overreaching that it becomes impossible to act, even in the best faith, or in any measure of virile liberty, without "violating" it? Indeed the better that it be so, as it provides all the more occasion to indulge outbursts of self-satisfying populism?
Perry has to do the right thing here: Pardon.
....bet he wins on appeal....
Caution, dont bet more than you can afford to lose. Texas courts are not friendly to appeals. DeLay was a tough pol who skated close to the thin ice. Looks like he skated too close.
Austin = lib town
Time will tell.The people know the charges were bullshit to begin with.Just remember you can indict a ham sandwich and thats just what ole commie ronnie dirtbag earle did.The people also voted against his son who ran for office if I remember right.The people of texas dont like the earles.
Hear, hear!
Then where will Delay go to get his reputation back? The damage is done, just as the left planned.
The article was certainly thin on details of the “crime” itself. No info on where the money in dispute went?
Actually that`s exactly what I meant!
NOPE. He’s a government servant.
If he really committed a crime, he must face the full measure of the Law.
NOW WE CAN MOVE ON!
Search every politician in DC. Check out all the crooks!
Red and blue.
I want all those crooks, if proven guilty, be locked up in jail.
“...clearly the jury was selected for their left leaning politics! These jury picking experts are good at doing this.”
I imagine that DeLay’s attorneys were as good at jury selection as a public prosecutor would be. By the way, you don’t get to “select” anyone as a lawyer in the Texas voir dire process. You are merely given a certain number of peremptory challenges, which allow you to excuse any juror for any reason you choose, except prohibited reasons such as race. All other jurors must be excused “for cause”, which means generally that you are able to show to the Court that the juror is already prejudiced against your client.
If your argument is correct, we can now strike the terms “Betrayal of Public Trust” and “Ethics” off the US English Language.
He committed a crime. He must suffer.
And let that be reminder to everyone.
Indeed, one of the works of the New Congress is to IDENTIFY WHO SHOULD “NEXT” FOLLOW THE FATE OF MR. DELAY.
“The American legal system puts more value on money than human life. Bizarre.”
Last I heard, the sentencing range for murder without special circumstances (like kidnapping) in Texas, was five years to life. The penalty range for selling 50 pounds of marijuana was 15 years to life.
“I’m sure he had a jury of his peers.”
I doubt that. Austin is a communist stronghold in Texas. In his cave somewhere in Switzerland, Soros is laughing like a maniac.....
DeLay was not convicted on donations of Corporate money to political candidates under the Election Code. The DA realized that would be a hard one to prove. So they swapped their approach and charged him with criminal money laundering under the Texas Penal Code. It is under this code and the activities of swapping money from TRMPAC to the RNC and back to the seven Texas House candidates that he was found guilty. There are two other individuals awaiting trial on lesser charges.
snipRead the entire article at the link above.
During the three-week trial, the prosecution presented more than 30 witnesses in an effort to prove that Mr. DeLay conspired to circumvent the state law. Since 1903, Texas has prohibited corporations from giving money to candidates directly or indirectly.
Mr. DeLay was initially charged with breaking campaign finance law. But prosecutors later switched strategies because it was impossible under the law at the time to accuse someone of conspiring to break campaign finance rules, prosecutors said.
Instead, prosecutors used a novel legal theory never before tried in Texas: They argued that Mr. DeLay and two of his political operatives — John Colyandro and Jim Ellis — had violated the criminal money-laundering law.
They were charged with conspiring to funnel $190,000 in corporate donations to state candidates through the Republican National Committee.
The main facts of the case were never in dispute.end snip
What don’t you understand? The section you cited applies to corporations but not LLCs or partnerships, limited partnerships, etc.
It appears that all Delay (or those responsible for running his PAC) is guilty of is failing to have 2 bank accounts - one for the corporate donations and one for the private donations, so as to establish an indisputable money trail. Tsk, tsk, just sloppy bookkeeping - like Charlie Rangel.
IIRC, Travis County Attorney Ronnie Earlls had to convene 3 grand juries in an attempt to indict Delay. He finally succeeded on the third attempt, which shows the weakness of the charges.
Ignorance (alledged) is no defense of a crime. If he did it, that’s it. I loved his politics, but there is no excuse.
This is what you stated.
Corporate donations are banned,
They are not banned. They are restricted and controlled by the section I cited.
Yeah, you're right. Let's forget about August 11, 1999, when Bill Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 members of FALN, a violent Puerto Rican terrorist group that set off 120 bombs in the United States, mostly in New York City and Chicago.
And March 2000, when Bill Clinton pardoned Edgar and Vonna Jo Gregory, owners of the carnival company United Shows International, for charges of bank fraud from a 1982 conviction. And And And.....sheesh
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