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.
I agree with you but I am NOT convinced everyone is playing by the same rules. NO offense, but does appear this has to play out before we react.
OTOH, there is nothing stopping us from commenting to the same ‘powers that be’.
“...Clinton`s and Obama`s are walking around free???”
and likely Rangel.
November 6th, 2012: please come sooner!
Travis County District Attorney, Ronnie Earle (D) has prosecuted 16 politicians : twelve democrats and four republicans. He successfully prosecuted a state treasurer, a House speaker, a state Supreme Court justice and several legislators all Democrats. Republicans cite his case against Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison as example of partisanship. When the Democratic judge ruled computer records inadmissable, Earle dropped that case. He has a 91 percent conviction rate in jury trials.
US Rep. Tom DeLay on Earle - "partisan fanatic" and "a runaway district attorney
Rep. Henry Bonilla (San Antonio) - "a partisan crackpot"
(About.com US Politics)
Nor do I! If he's found guilty then get him out of office, I'm tired of trying to defend these guys against a number of libtards on a local website.........
Not to pick-nits, appellate courts don’t “clear” people. Appellate courts her appeals from litigants (defendants, in this case) that argue the trial judge erred in his application of law. They don’t find fact, therefor they can’t “clear” anyone.
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Small exception in Louisiana, where a court of appeal ( not court of appeals in La) can, if they wish, review the facts. Typically they do not.
Agree that this is bad. It is a BS political trial.
The campain finance laws are complicated and convoluted, basically f’d up. It’s like the tax code, I try my best to be correct and even use a software program. But I can’t tell you with 100% certainty that they are correct.
The essence of the case involves the state law and was it broken........
Delay, a Republican who was nicknamed The Hammer because of his heavy-handed style, was accused of conspiring to funnel $190,000 of corporate money through the Republican National Committee, which sent $190,000 in campaign donations to seven GOP candidates for the Texas House.
State law prohibits corporations from giving donations to candidates directly or indirectly.
This is a joke, right?
IMO this is a victimless crime
Isn’t that the truth.
I haven't been following it very closely. From what little I know, it seems pretty politically motivated, on its face.
The point I was trying to convey to the original poster, was that if your trial strategy is, "We'll get 'em on appeal", you're generally screwed.
Which means that Charlie Rangel could be sentenced to what, a couple of hours picking up trash around the Capitol?
For purposes of comparison, 2 words: Charlie Rangel.
“The point I was trying to convey to the original poster, was that if your trial strategy is, “We’ll get ‘em on appeal”, you’re generally screwed.”
And you are absolutely correct.
Foreman of jury was a Greenpeace activist. Next President can pardon him if he can get out on appeal.
I think DeLay took the money in and donated it to the RNC which then in turn donated it to seven congressional candidates. So was it corporate money or not? We don’t have the paper trails that the jury was presented to make their determination.
He’s not a crook. He is a great man, one of the best.
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