Whatever Happened to Tom DeLay?

Whatever happened to Tom DeLay, once the most hated, feared and combative member of Congress? The most powerful person in the House of Representatives left office after his indictment two and a half years ago. But his case has still not come to trial. Why not?

Who can forget Tom DeLay, the former exterminator they called "the Hammer" because he broke heads, made threats and did whatever else was necessary to drive the Bush administration's programs through the House of Representatives and punish those who dared oppose him? The 11-term Republican congressman from Texas rose to become the Majority Leader and the real power behind Speaker Dennis Hastert.

DeLay was deeply involved in what opponents dubbed Washington's "culture of corruption." He accepted over $70,000 in campaign contributions and other favors from jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Abramoff's clients and associates. DeLay made overseas trips paid for by Abramoff, his clients, foreign companies and other lobbyists, including a $70,000 golfing trip to Scotland, a visit to South Korea that cost $107,000, and a $57,000 jaunt to Russia.

DeLay has never been charged with a crime for his dealings with Abramoff, whom he once called "one of my dearest and closest friends." But two of his former congressional aides have pleaded guilty in the Abramoff scandals, and the lobbyist himself is serving six years for one fraud and has pleaded guilty in other cases to defrauding clients out of millions of dollars, conspiring to bribe public officials and tax evasion. In addition, DeLay was admonished three times by the House Ethics Committee on matters not involving Abramoff.

Much more serious are charges being pressed by a Texas prosecutor that destroyed DeLay's congressional career and still threaten him with jail time. The prosecutor is District Attorney Ronnie Earle of Travis County, which includes the state capital, Austin.

Two grand juries convened by Earle indicted DeLay on state charges in the fall of 2005. They accused him of violating Texas election law by conspiring to collect corporate contributions for one of his PACs, and laundering, and conspiring to launder, those donations to elect more Republicans to the state House of Representatives.

DeLay's successful effort helped elect 17 Republicans to the Texas House in 2002, giving his party control for the first time in more than a century. The legislators then helped pass DeLay's radical redistricting plan that added five more Texas Republican congressmen to the GOP majority two years later.

To raise money for the 2002 state House races, Texans for a Republican Majority, a political PAC that DeLay helped organize, collected $190,000 from corporations. In September 2002, DeLay's PAC sent the $190,000 to the Republican National Committee in Washington. Three weeks later, the RNC sent the exact same amount back to Texas, in contributions to GOP state House candidates.

Texas is one of 18 states where using corporate money in state election campaigns is illegal. DA Earle charged that DeLay was involved in efforts to get around the law. DeLay insists he's innocent and accuses Earle, a Democrat, of engaging in "personal revenge" against him for partisan political purposes, something Earle emphatically denies.

The indictment was calamitous for DeLay's political career. He was forced to step down as Majority Leader, resigned from Congress and declined to run for a twelfth term, fearing he might lose in 2006. In fact, his former seat was won by a Democrat. He was belligerent to the end, defending his intense partisanship as "not a symptom of democracy's weakness but of its health" in his farewell speech in Congress.

DeLay asked for a quick trial. But he hasn't gotten one, in part because of appeals. Texas courts threw out the charge that he and two associates conspired to violate state election law. But the courts are still considering appeals from the other two indicted with him for money laundering. The next decision on their appeals will almost certainly affect his case, and could be appealed further.

And even if they ultimately lose those appeals, the courts will then have to rule on motions by DeLay and the others accusing DA Earle of misconduct and asking for a change of venue from Austin, where, a defense lawyer says, people hate DeLay and other Republicans.

Underlying the money laundering charges is the law that makes corporate campaign contributions illegal in Texas. Both sides agree that DeLay's Texas PAC sent $190,000 in corporate donations to the Republican National Committee in September 2002, and the RNC returned the same amount in contributions to seven candidates for the state House of Representatives less than three weeks later.

In DeLay's case, a central question is when he learned of the money transactions. He has said publicly that he mistakenly told prosecutors at a meeting in August 2005 that he knew about his Texas PAC's check before it was sent to the RNC. "I misspoke one sentence and they have based all of this on one sentence," DeLay told Rush Limbaugh in a radio interview. He complained that DA Earle would not permit him to correct his error.

DeLay offered a slightly different account on Fox News Sunday. "I knew about this after it happened," he said, explaining he had learned his PAC had sent the $190,000 to the Republican National Committee, but before the RNC had sent $190,000 back in contributions to state House candidates.

Besides what he told prosecutors at the August 2005 meeting, and his public statements, it is not known what, if any, witnesses, documents or other evidence the DA has to support his case. DeLay was not under oath at the meeting. Calls and emails to Earle's spokesman were not returned.

The time-consuming appeals process makes it unlikely that DeLay's case will come to trial this year. So it's likely that he will outlast his accuser, since the 65-year-old Earle has announced he'll step down next January after 32 years on the job. His successor will be one of his assistant DAs who's been on DeLay's case for a long time. But whether that successor will pursue DeLay as vigorously as Earle has, remains to be seen.

DeLay remains a hero to many on the right. In February 2008, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, fans flocked around him and lined up half an hour early for his book-signing. His autobiography, "No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight," was written with author Stephen Mansfield.

DeLay is also co-founder of the Coalition for a Conservative Majority, a fledgling right-wing effort to compete with left-wing groups like MoveOn. He told the Houston Chronicle that conservatives are "very energized, but they're looking for leadership." If he can manage to stay out of jail, DeLay might be happy to provide it.

Comments

[texanna]

I sincerely hope that Sen. Obama has taken notice that the snake is not dead and all that reaching across the aisle stuff is just a pipe dream. The NeoCons don't negotiate, they win. And, in the process of winning they destroy you. I suggest for all of Obama's supporters who are infatuated with some new way of doing politics, that required reading should be John Dean's "Broken Government". Clearly, inside government or outside, the Neocons aren't going away without a fight.

[mommadona]

If he drags his sorry ass over the Texas state line, ARREST HIM.

That's what NORMAL societies do with thugs in high places.

You know - RULE OF LAW.

[pigsatthetrough]

He says he is not guilty, and just wait until he gets his day in court. He said his innocence will be seen his first day in court. Then his first day,in court, to have charges withdrawn, he said,:
Checks are not funds,
This is political,
I used one sentence and they based this on that one mistaken sentence,
I never did these things,
Its all pretty clear right?

So he has spent how much with these high priced lawyers, with funds acquired when he refused to withdraw candidacy? The only thing that will save him from the slammer, is the delay of giving him his due right in timely appearance in court. The hammer may be one of the worst offenders in the so called Republican back to decency etc BS. Meanwhile CNN and Fox treat him like a celebrity, rather than waiting to see the outcome. When does all this crap end?

[Dandy12]

Tom DeLay, Scooter Libby, and other cogs in a very sick destructive mechanism....! When will Americans wake up to a truly deceitful, lying administration? Corporations first, citizens last!!

[drjay79]

The trial should be at the same time as the fall election so everyone can be reminded about the corrupt republicans.

[Purple Girl]

And Where is Gonzales Trial?
Why have th eMP's not Arrested W. for his signature on those Torture documents.
why has no one bothered to Indict Cheney on Lobbist activities while in office (or his last 35 yrs of crimes against Humanity - blood for Oil)????
They are all afraid because they are All complicite.

[castlerider]

We tried for years and years to get light rail here in Houston, because of the heavy and noxious overcrowded freeways and roads here in one of America's biggest cities. Delay, in all his years in Congress, fought the move tooth and nail. No one could understand why- he just always said that the people didn't want it, that if they put it to a vote, it would fail . Finally it was put to avote.. Light Rail won. Still, for years, he placed obstacles and wouldn't release federal funds.
Houston's needed a transit system for many years- most ladies in a nice outfit just won't feel comfortable waiting for a bus in Texas heat; distances are long and spread out. So why, now that it's all built and almost impossible to factor in, hasn't caring leadership considered this great need, and taken opportunity to implement the best Rail ever built, which Houston's fully capable to do?
You only have to look at who benefits, - who doesn't. Oil companies don't want Rail. They want us to keep using cars, of course! And keep buying that gas. They and the road industries want to keep building freeways that only get more crowded. With a guy like Tom Delay, they never had to worry about fools that want to allow for more reasonable growth, even though now with gas prices as they are, hardly anyone can afford to drive across this big huge, town. Tom Delay's their boy.. Thanks a lot,

[castlerider]

It's never happened to me, but I got cut off...
Anyways,
Thanks a lot, Tom Delay.

Please stay gone.

[bigfan1]

I like the way you gave us lots of facts to go along with your opinions. Let's hear more from you!

[HowardRoarke]

We'll save the money on the trial when Bush pardons him later this year.

Poor Georgie is gonna get such a sore wrist writing out all those pardons.

[mydogshakespeare]

Are you talking about one of those "pre-emptive" pardons? How can you pardon someone who has not been found guilty of a action? I'm sure Bush is looking for a way, but delay for Delay increases the chance his verdict (if not innocent, as presumed) will arrive after Jan 20, 2009, and stand.

[Ramirez]

A conviction is not necessary to receive a pardon. Bush can pardon Delay tomorrow if he wishes.

Not that it matters. This was a political indictment and was never meant to go to trial.

[Teritt]

I think Caspar Weinberger was pardoned by George HW Bush before he ever went to trial for Iran-Contra.

[MACS]

.
delay continues the "Culture of corruption" while serving with FAUX NOISE as a guest.
How appropos.
.

[bigfated]

If ever a politician deserved jail time----this pig DeLay is it! It's way past time for some justice for this slime ball son-of-a-bitch!

[larry278]

There is evidence that my mother was a real bitch & I'm damn sure her son. I have found that being a son of a bitch prepared me to live & survive in a less than perfect world. Go easy on us sons of bitches. Not all of us turned out like Tom Delay. Some of us are good hearted motherf#ckers. It hurts us to be compared to a useless scumbag like Tom Delay. But we'll survive. You learn that if you're a real son of a real bitch.
larry lynch

[Ramirez]

It was a political indictment and the purpose was to force his retirement from Congress. It was never meant to go to trial.

[Rosanneofpgh]

he wont go to trial because he KNOWS people, IMPORTANT people.....

[UkieOlie]

And maybe he has pictures!

[zendem1]

Um, wow..political, huh? How about you reading some background on not only the charges against Delay, but also the rest of Abramoff's dealings. Why is it that everytime you people get caught stealing or screwing, it's always "political"?

[WorkingClass]

This whole country should be grateful to Ronnie Earle for bringing that scumbag down.

[GayGrandpa]

SCUMBAG? I think that is a little too kind don't you?! I am so sick of these Republicans with their religious overt tones and then bullying people, taking advantage of people, taking corruption to new heights and lows! Always throwing their weight around in some gaudy way and then crawling on bathroom floors and lying to their wives or reaping money from labor camps on forgotten islands or taking oh so many vacations for some made up purpose on the taxpayers' dollar or going to wars for profit...greedy bloody bastards is more like it, corrupt and bankrupt evil monsters, demons in angels cloth all the while claiming to be of the cloth they hide their horns in hoods of shame. I am so sick of what in their name America has become to the world and to our children. America the beautiful dirtied muddied covered with the feces of corruption and vomited on with the greed of supposed righteous souls!

[utd]

No, tell us what you really feel.

[Oldbuck]

The reason they have not pursued his conviction in Texas is he left the state and has not returned and they don't want him back. May be as long as the conviction is out there he will keep doing what he doing.

[larry278]

As the commercials & ads say, "Tejas is like a [whole] 'nother country.".
In the event Mr Delay is ever tried & is found guildty or pleeds[sp] guilty & does time-he might have to heed the words of female corrections officers. That could be interesting.