DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe
 

WASHINGTON - A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, forcing the House majority leader to temporarily relinquish his post.

DeLay attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay's national political committee.

"I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County district attorney today," DeLay said.

GOP congressional officials said Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., will recommend that Rep. David Dreier (news, bio, voting record) of California step into those duties. Some of the duties may go to the GOP whip, Rep. Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record) of Missouri. The Republican rank and file may meet as early as Wednesday night to act on Hastert's recommendation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050928/..._investigation

My first reaction to this news was "YESSSSSSS! ABOUT FREAKING TIME!!!!" Is that wrong? ;)

ETA: I've been wondering if this would happen for a while, especially since I read this book.

Who knows how this will come out, but this prosecutor has a long trail of crummy indictments and attacks on political rivals.

After her election to the Senate, he indicted Kay Bailey Hutchens. She refused to be bullied, and took it to trial.

In the courtroom, as the trial was to start, the prosecutor announced that he was not going to prosecute the case - after dragging her name thru the mud for ages.

Then he invited his reporter buddies to a hotel suite, showed them the "evidence," hoping to get some favorable press.

Even a blind squirrel finds some nuts, and maybe he has found a few this time, but his history lends doubt.

With DeLay and Frist, not a great week for the Grand Old Party.

DeLay politics may carry heavy price
By Jim Drinkard, USA TODAY
Over lunch at the Sunset Grove Country Club in Orange, Texas, businessman Pete Cloeren lamented to Rep. Tom DeLay that he couldn't do more to help his friend Brian Babin get elected to Congress. Cloeren had personally given all he was allowed, and the law wouldn't let him donate money from his plastics company.

DeLay had a solution, Cloeren said. "There are ways we get money moved around the system," Cloeren recalls him saying. "He told us at the lunch table that this was done all the time."

The day after the lunch in 1996, Cloeren says, a DeLay aide called with instructions to donate to several out-of-state political committees and candidates. After Cloeren did so, those committees directed like amounts to Babin's campaign.

Cloeren later pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations, but the man he says advised him escaped any consequences. The Federal Election Commission dismissed Cloeren's complaint against DeLay for lack of evidence, and DeLay denied wrongdoing.

But the scenario Cloeren describes bears a striking similarity to transactions that have led to DeLay's indictment by two Texas grand juries in the past three weeks and his removal, at least temporarily, as House majority leader. One of the most effective House Republican leaders is sidelined as the chamber approaches crucial and difficult votes on spending cuts. DeLay is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday in Austin.

"Based on the allegations, it seems that Tom DeLay has no problem with recommending the use of conduits to hide the source of money going to campaigns," said Larry Noble, director of the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, which studies money in politics. Noble was chief counsel to the FEC at the time of Cloeren's complaint about DeLay. "He seems to be somebody who likes playing in the gray areas, and occasionally stepping over the line."

DeLay maintains he has never done anything wrong and calls the charges "blatant political partisanship" by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat. "I am innocent," he says. "Mr. Earle and his staff know it. And I will prove it."

DeLay's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, charged Monday in a letter to Earle that the prosecutor had "tried to coerce a guilty plea" from his client to a misdemeanor, under the threat that if he didn't do it he would face a felony indictment.

for full article..
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...politics_x.htm

The1calledTKE do you have any articles on how tainted the prosecutor is?

The prosecutor's case is so strong here that a plea offer was provided (and rejected).

-Rudey

I don't but your welcome to post some to put out the other side of the story.

So you aren't interested in the events and news here, you're interested in your "side of the story".

-Rudey

When does one poster post both sides of the story? Not very often. Usually the person that disagrees puts up the otherside of the story, the one they believe in.

I should 100% be a moderator in this forum - thread title changes are in bounds, after all, no?

Well as moderator he has a right to post biased info, stick to "one side", and then attack users like Hoosier (his own brother - a shame) for being biased.

-Rudey

When did I ever I attack him for being biased? I did spoof his use of opinion journal thats about it.

No. That's not about it.

But good tactic.

-Rudey

I'm glad he reads my posts and reacts. Usually he doesn't make personal attacks.

His "spoofs" approach the level of mediocre, as one would expect from some one from Valdosta - where the football stadium is known as the Concrete Palace.

Incidently, neither of us were invited to the Founders Day dinner with Nardelli.

I am glad you agree I don't really make personal attacks. I see that does not stop you with the Valdosta comment.

He said "Usually".

-Rudey

My favorite Sat. night adventure is the stock car races, and Valdosta has the best track in GA: South GA Motorsports Park.

With the track, and now a Hooters, Valdosta is moving up.

Ok. If you can find any examples where I personally attacked him, it would be appreciated.

Valdosta is a good college town but I wouldn't want to live there periminately.

I'm sure you could do the search for threads in this forum where Hoosier has posted and look at your own comments.

-Rudey

Tom DeLay is guilty.







































as charged

will the "vegans" show up to protest this too?

"vegan" is in quotes becuase they are just posuers, and have been cought eating beef

B, screw Voldasto, personel reasons as You Know!:)

I know for a fact that Hoosier hates 1called tke and vice versa. Rudey are You a happy little twit now?:rolleyes:

God, you are in outer some

where and if you think You know as much as You profess, You would not be here but some dupe in polotics! DAH!

Were abused as a Child?:eek:

DeLay is a bottom feeder and feeds off Your Ass just like He and many others do and You dont get it!

WOWIE, You would make a great Polotician. In Kansas, We Call them Bull heads, bottom feeders!

Somebody must think this forum needs stirring up, and posts a fib (or at least a half-truth, since I don't know how 1called tke feels and I don't hate anyone).

In America, you're innocent until proven guilty - not convicted by the mass media (often called the media wing of the Democratic Party) but convicted by a jury.

The latest is that the TX politician/prosecutor has NO evidence at all.

Do you prefer to drink wood alcohol over grain alcohol?

-Rudey

With this thread and the Rove thread, I again have to laugh when I think of people saying that conservatives are the only ones jumping on the other side's mistakes. The posting of these threads just goes to prove that both sides do a good job pointing out the other side's faults and problems.

Arrest warrant issued for DeLay
 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A Texas court issued a warrant Wednesday for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to appear for booking, where he is likely to face the fingerprinting and photo mug shot he had hoped to avoid.

Bail was initially set at $10,000 as a routine step before his first court appearance on conspiracy and money laundering charges. Travis County court officials said DeLay was ordered to appear at the Fort Bend County jail for booking.

The warrant was "a matter of routine and bond will be posted," DeLay attorney Dick DeGuerin said.

The lawyer declined to say when DeLay would surrender to authorities but said the lawmaker would make his first court appearance Friday morning.

The charges against the Texas Republican stem from allegations that a DeLay-founded Texas political committee funneled corporate money into state GOP legislative races through the National Republican Party. Texas law prohibits use of corporate money to elect state candidates.

DeLay is charged with conspiracy to violate state election laws and money laundering, felony counts that triggered House Republican rules that forced him to step aside as majority leader.

Two separate indictments charge that DeLay and two political associates had the money distributed to state legislative candidates in a roundabout way -- sending it from the political action committee in Texas to the Republican National Committee in Washington and finally back to candidates' campaigns.

DeLay has denied wrongdoing.

for full article.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/....ap/index.html

Why do I have the feeling that the only picture the media will use in the future of Delay will be his mug shot.

I was one of the people saying that, about myself personally, and I am not one of the people who are gleefully revelling in these issues. I don't find that attacking politicians serves any real purpose. I want to know the facts, once they are fully known and will judge based on that.

My son wanted to know why it's illegal to put money in the washer and if I was going to jail because I find quarters in the dryer almost every week...

Speaking of money laundering, I thought Tom DeLay's daughter was also being charged with this too.

It's illegal to put money in the washer?

-Rudey

Money laundering...

Dee
-what happened to Rudey's sense of humor?

:D :D :D

At this time in the morning, I can't quite appreciate jokes like that.

-Rudey

That might not be such a bad thing...here it is:

http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_phot...20145809990008

I don't know if the prosecutor has any evidence, but two separate grand juries seem to think there is at least some merit...

"Two grand juries have charged DeLay and two political associates in an alleged scheme to violate state election law by funneling corporate donations to candidates for the Texas Legislature. State law prohibits use of corporate donations to finance state campaigns, although the money can be used for administrative expenses...

...DeLay has denied wrongdoing and accused Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle - a Democrat - of having partisan motives. Earle has denied the accusation. Earle did not ask for the arrest warrant for DeLay but approved the court's request, his office said Wednesday.

DeLay 's Republican fundraising in 2002 had major political consequences, allowing the GOP to take control of the Texas Legislature. The Legislature then redrew congressional boundaries according to a DeLay -inspired plan, took command of the state's U.S. House delegation and helped the GOP retain its House majority."

How come he's not holding one of those bars with his name on it? Or is that not for everyone?

-Rudey

Good question. I wondered about that, too. Maybe the Sheriff is a Republican?

Who smiles in a mug shot?