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On January 10, 2011, former Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tom Delay, was sentenced to three years in jail for his participation in a money laundering conspiracy. Now, his attorney blames the Tea Party, in part, for his conviction. (snip) DeLay's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, explained the Tea Party connection by saying, "We went to trial on the very day people across the country, voters, rebelled against politics." While DeLay presumably does not differ much ideologically from the Tea Party, their inconveniently timed uprising might have irritated liberal jury members, who took their wrath out on Delay.

With Texas judge Pat Priest imposing a sentence of three years in prison on former House majority leader Tom DeLay, it is not an exaggeration to say that this is the culmination of an undeserved, unjustified, and unconscionable act of political persecution. It is the result of an abusive prosecution that exemplifies the drive to criminalize politics and to make the ordinary processes of raising and spending funds for political campaigns a crime. The man who should be on trial in Texas is Ronnie Earle, the unethical Travis County prosecutor who went after DeLay as part of a political vendetta...

judge has ordered U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to serve three years in prison for his role in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. The sentence comes after a jury in November convicted DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. DeLay was once one of the most powerful men in U.S. politics, ascending to the No. 2 job in the House of Representatives. The former Houston-area congressman had faced up to life in prison. His attorneys asked for probation.

Tom DeLay sentenced to 3-years in prison.

AUSTIN, Texas – Prosecutors abruptly concluded presenting their case in the sentencing hearing of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, convicted last year on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

I cannot help but notice the overwhelming silence from the GOP on the matter of ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's prosecution and trial. Ever since he was forced to step down back in 2005, he has been in a kind of limbo or worse. Two things stand out to me: He was extremely focused and effective in his efforts -- none of which benefited him personally but which benefited his party and his state immensely. His success has earned him the abandonment of his party's members. No one says a peep about him. He may as well have dropped off...

Around Washington, Rep. Tom DeLay was known as "the Hammer." It's a title he earned for his effective ness when he served in the role of majority whip. The whip is the person tasked with counting votes and building support for legislation. As whip, Mr. DeLay was uniquely effective at enacting and implementing the Contract With America and key portions of the George W. Bush agenda. He also was able to flex his political muscle within the state of Texas to leave his mark on the redistricting process. Tom DeLay was a very skilled politician. He understood the legislative and...

Don't let anyone claim that liberal talk radio show hosts don't wish for bad things to happen. On Monday's show, Randi Rhodes was giddy about the prospect of global warming causing the oceans to rise enough to engulf Rush Limbaugh's Florida home: And so, the global warming deniers -- like Rush Limbaugh, whose house I can't wait until the ocean swells and eats his house -- and he will be the first to go because he's got the best location! He's on Palm Beach, which is nothing but a little island...a long, skinny, little sliver of billion dollars worth of...

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...

Jurors considering the political money laundering case against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Tuesday delved deep into the evidence, but asked so many legal questions that the judge warned them that they were getting off track... DeLay had with him a copy of Empire of the Summer Moon, a recent nonfiction book about the Comanche people and their famed chief, Quanah Parker, and a TouchPoint Bible that allows readers to find Scripture relevant to their lives. "No demons, nor angels nor DAs can keep you separated from the love of Jesus Christ," DeLay said, playing off of...

Five years after former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay demanded a speedy trial on political money laundering charges, a Travis County jury is now determining his fate. The six-man, six-woman panel showed up at court Monday with a majority of the members dressed in black. They elected one of the women as foreman. And when they returned three times to the courtroom to ask the judge questions during their four hours of deliberation, they all looked away from DeLay. The jurors also were asking visiting Judge Pat Priest questions that indicated they were buying into DeLay's defense that no...

Testimony in Tom DeLay's money-laundering trial ended in Austin, Texas, without the former House majority leader testifying. Closing arguments are set for Monday, the Houston Chronicle reported. DeLay said after Thursday's court session he got to make his case when prosecutors played his 2005 interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News. "The reason I didn't testify is there was no need to. … I can't believe the prosecution finished their case with my testimony," he said. In the interview, DeLay said he knew of a money swap between his Texans for a Republican Majority and the Republican National Committee, but...

...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...

AUSTIN, Texas — A jury was chosen Tuesday in the trial of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a once powerful but polarizing politician accused of illegally financing Texas GOP legislative races in 2002. The panel of six men and six women, along with two alternates, was selected after attorneys spent more than eight hours quizzing potential jurors about whether their political beliefs could interfere in their ability to make an impartial decision. Most said it wouldn't affect them........ DeLay is charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted of money laundering, he faces...

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, will be tried on money laundering charges in Austin, a Texas judge ruled Wednesday. The ruling came as part of pretrial hearings during which DeLay argued he should be tried in Houston, near his home, because the case involves election matters, the Austin American-Statesman reported. His attorney, Dick DeGuerin also argued DeLay could not get a fair trial in Travis County. "I know there's negative feeling about Tom DeLay -- and it's strong," Senior District Judge Pat Priest said, adding DeLay could get a fair trial nonetheless....

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) said the Democratic Party's strong ground game could stave off midterm losses. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) on Wednesday warned Republicans not to underestimate Democrats this fall. DeLay, fresh off having the Justice Department drop a federal investigation against him, said GOP wins in the midterm elections aren't "a given" due to the strength of the grassroots infrastructure Democrats built in 2006 and 2008. "Over the last ten years, the Democrats, particularly the Democrats in the House, have put together one of the most powerful grassroots coalitions that I've ever seen,"...

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) said the Democratic Party's strong ground game could stave off midterm losses. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) on Wednesday warned Republicans not to underestimate Democrats this fall. DeLay, fresh off having the Justice Department drop a federal investigation against him, said GOP wins in the midterm elections aren't "a given" due to the strength of the grassroots infrastructure Democrats built in 2006 and 2008. "Over the last ten years, the Democrats, particularly the Democrats in the House, have put together one of the most powerful grassroots coalitions that I've ever seen,"...

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...

The Justice Department has dropped its case against former House Majority Leader, Tom Delay, and Newsweek's Eleanor Clift is in mourning. She just can't accept the fact that there was no substance to the charges against DeLay and ascribes the dropping of the case to the Obama Justice Department trying to score points with Republicans in the interest of bipartisanship. Clift also manages to smear the late former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens in her angst over the dropped charges: The Justice Department’s decision to let former House majority leader Tom DeLay off the hook and end the six-year-long investigation that...

Feds Clear DeLay. He Calls Pelosi “The Swamp”Chad Pergram | August 16, 2010 It's been a long time since former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) got the chance to come out swinging in public. But that's exactly what the feisty former GOP leader did Monday when the Justice Department told his attorneys it closed its inquiry of DeLay after a six year probe. DeLay was his vintage himself during a telephone conference call with reporters. "They didn't have anything," DeLay boasted. "The case was so weak I never did meet with anyone from the Justice Department and never appeared...