DeLay Indicted!

[PsychicWarVeteran]

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...

The grand jury action is expected to have immediate consequences in the House, where DeLay is largely responsible for winning passage of the Republican legislative program. House Republican Party rules require leaders who are indicted to temporarily step aside from their leadership posts...

DeLay, 58, also is the center of an ethics swirl in Washington. The 11-term congressman was admonished last year by the House ethics committee on three separate issues and is the center of a political storm this year over lobbyists paying his and other lawmakers' tabs for expensive travel abroad.

Wednesday's indictment stems from a plan DeLay helped set in motion in 2001 to help Republicans win control of the Texas House in the 2002 elections for the first time since Reconstruction.

A state political action committee he created, Texans for a Republican Majority, was indicted earlier this month on charges of accepting corporate contributions for use in state legislative races. Texas law prohibits corporate money from being used to advocate the election or defeat of candidates; it is allowed only for administrative expenses.

With GOP control of the Texas legislature, DeLay then engineered a redistricting plan that enabled the GOP take six Texas seats in the U.S. House away from Democrats -- including one lawmaker switching parties -- in 2004 and build its majority in Congress.

SOURCE: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/28/D8CTCQ2OC.html

:woot: This is GREAT news, folks. If you don't belive me, then please feel free to educate yourself here and here. But, hey, if you don't like my links, find your own! DeLay has plenty of corruption to go around!

When House Republicans voted last month to allow members who have been indicted to keep their leadership positions—a decision that ought to be remembered as the "DeLay rule"—political writers from David Brooks to E.J. Dionne to John Podhoretz howled...

This could be the start of something big. I hope.

[Doc]

Ironic that the bastard gets indicted in Texas, instead of Washington. He is everything that is bad about cronyism in politics. The hammer, my ass. He's a small, small man.

[silverhand]

I can't post a link as it was on PA News on our works intranet site, but apparently the Metrpolitan Police are to interview Margaret Thatcher at the request of US authorities over her links to Tom deLay.

[A_Non_Ymous]

He just got indicted on another charge, too.

Interesting fellow, without a doubt. I have always suspected his parents met only briefly at a masquerade ball.

LSN

[Pietro_Mercurios]

I can't post a link as it was on PA News on our works intranet site, but apparently the Metrpolitan Police are to interview Margaret Thatcher at the request of US authorities over her links to Tom deLay. ...

It just gets better and better! :lol:

Perhaps, Thatcher will come down with the same disease as Pinochet and that Guinness chap: 'Rich Man's Temporary Alzheimer's'? (I'd include Reagan, but he actually did go demented.)

[Doc]

One of the most recent two counts is far more serious, as it isn't a conspiricy charge. I still don't know if I should find his indignation about "partisan witch hunts" to be ironic or moronic, given his own partisan attack dog history. Maybe both?

[A_Non_Ymous]

How about "farcial" ?

LSN

[silverhand]

I can't post a link as it was on PA News on our works intranet site, but apparently the Metrpolitan Police are to interview Margaret Thatcher at the request of US authorities over her links to Tom deLay. ...

It just gets better and better! :lol:

Perhaps, Thatcher will come down with the same disease as Pinochet and that Guinness chap: 'Rich Man's Temporary Alzheimer's'? (I'd include Reagan, but he actually did go demented.)

I could use a disease like that. Enough to keep me off work, but not interfere with my social life!

[A_Non_Ymous]

A curious recent event in connection with the DeLay affair:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051019/...lay_indictment

Frankly, the whole situation appalls me. I don't get any Schadenfreude out of it, either, despite my dislike of DeLay's public persona and record. I have this silly desire to see government function cleanly, legally, and to do what it was designed to do. I know, that's not going to happen. :roll:

LSN

[Hawksun]

I have this silly desire to see government function cleanly, legally, and to do what it was designed to do.

Don't we all.... :(

[Sky]

This is excellent news...One bastard down atleast five more to go!!! :D

[Elphaba]

I think it's fascinating how politicians think they are above the common citizen and deserve special treatment:

DeLay could avoid public 'perp walk'

New warrant allows him to be booked away from Austin's potential media circus.

...DeLay would have gone downstairs to be photographed and fingerprinted on the first floor of the Travis County Criminal Justice Center. The booking room has a wall of windows that would have allowed the news media to record the moment.

Under the law, only the prosecutor, in this case District Attorney Ronnie Earle, may completely waive the booking. Earle chose not to make an exception in DeLay's case.

"We believe that Congressman DeLay should be treated like everyone else," Earle said Wednesday.

Houston lawyer Dick DeGuerin, who represents DeLay, objected...

http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...0/20delay.html

[PsychicWarVeteran]

Reports are that DeLay has been fingerprinted and photographed, though no word on whether any reporters got photos.

Rep. Tom DeLay turned himself Thursday in at the Harris County sheriff's bonding office, where he was photographed, fingerprinted and released on bond on state conspiracy and money laundering charges.

"He posted $10,000 bond and they have left the bonding office," Lt. John Martin with the sheriff's department said.

DeLay, accompanied by his attorney, Dick DeGuerin, showed up about 12:15 p.m., appeared before a judge and was gone in less than 30 minutes, Martin said.

The appearance came a day after a state court issued an arrest warrant for DeLay and set an initial bail, a routine step before the Texas Republican's first court appearance Friday in Austin.

He had been expected to appear for booking in Bend County, but went to Houston instead. Under Texas law he could check in anywhere in the state.

SOURCE: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/10/20/D8DBTUHO3.html

Meanwhile, at least one person wronged by DeLay is seeking retribution:

A former Democratic congressman on Tuesday launched a national fund-raiser aimed at unseating Rep. Tom DeLay next year as the former House majority leader battles an indictment and ethics charges.

Nick Lampson lost his congressional seat last November after Texas Republicans targeted him and other Democratic House incumbents in a DeLay-backed plan to redraw the state's district lines... The incumbents at risk were: Reps. Martin Frost, Charles Stenholm, Max Sandlin and Lampson. Rep. Chet Edwards was the only Democrat out of the five to keep his seat.

I know, I know, it's FOX News, so take it however you will. :roll:

SOURCE: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,172639,00.html

Oh, and in the name of being fair and balanced (har), here's FOX's report on the DeLay booking. Note how much more attention they give to his attorney's bitching about how DeLay wasn't granted any special treatment.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,172879,00.html

[PsychicWarVeteran]

Tom DeLay's Mug Shot

Man, you gotta hand it to The Smoking Gun. They get right on it, don't they?

They've already got Tom DeLay's mug shot posted. Check it out:


Hey! Look at me! I'm being booked for money laundering and conspiracy! See how happy I am about it!?

Actually, the smile is all part of his ruse that the charges are all bull. Keep smiling, fool.

LINK: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1020051delay1.html

[Hawksun]

[/b]Layan Copelin wrote;

Houston lawyer Dick DeGuerin, who represents DeLay, objected, saying Earle had agreed earlier that DeLay would not have to be booked.

"This is ludicrous," he said. "It's pure retaliation."

Oh, yes, being treated like every other criminal in the state is "pure retaliation".