Jury Convicts DeLay in Money Laundering Trial
AUSTIN, Texas (Nov. 24) -- Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay -
once one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress -- was
convicted Wednesday on charges he illegally funneled corporate money to Texas
candidates in 2002.
Jurors deliberated for 19 hours before returning guilty verdicts against
DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money
laundering. He faces up to life in prison on the money laundering charge.
After the verdicts were read, DeLay hugged his daughter, Danielle, and his
wife, Christine. There was no immediate comment from him or his attorneys.
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was found guilty of illegally
funneling corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002.
Prosecutors said DeLay, who once held the No. 2 job in the House of
Representatives and whose heavy-handed style earned him the nickname "the
Hammer," used his political action committee to illegally channel $190,000 in
corporate donations into 2002 Texas legislative races through a money swap.
DeLay and his attorneys maintained the former Houston-area congressman did
nothing wrong as no corporate funds went to Texas candidates and the money
swap was legal.
The verdict came after a three-week trial in which prosecutors presented
more than 30 witnesses and volumes of e-mails and other documents. DeLay's
attorneys presented five witnesses.
Prosecutors said DeLay conspired with two associates, John Colyandro and
Jim Ellis, to use his Texas-based PAC to send $190,000 in corporate money to
an arm of the Washington-based Republican National Committee, or RNC. The
RNC then sent the same amount to seven Texas House candidates. Under Texas
law, corporate money can't go directly to political campaigns.
Prosecutors claim the money helped Republicans take control of the Texas
House. That enabled the GOP majority to push through a Delay-engineered
congressional redistricting plan that sent more Texas Republicans to Congress
in 2004 - and strengthened DeLay's political power.
DeLay's attorneys argued the money swap resulted in the seven candidates
getting donations from individuals, which they could legally use in Texas.
They also said DeLay only lent his name to the PAC and had little
involvement in how it was run. Prosecutors, who presented mostly circumstantial
evidence, didn't prove he committed a crime, they said.
DeLay has chosen to have Senior Judge Pat Priest sentence him. He faces
five years to life in prison on the money laundering charge and two to 20
years on the conspiracy charge. He also would be eligible for probation.
The 2005 criminal charges in Texas, as well as a separate federal
investigation of DeLay's ties to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, ended his
22-year political career representing suburban Houston. The Justice
Department probe into DeLay's ties to Abramoff ended without any charges filed
against DeLay.
Ellis and Colyandro, who face lesser charges, will be tried later.
Except for a 2009 appearance on ABC's hit television show "Dancing With
the Stars," DeLay has been out of the spotlight since resigning from Congress
in 2006. He now runs a consulting firm based in the Houston suburb of
Sugar Land.
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