The AP is reporting:
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, 58, 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 in a statement.
Michelle Malkin has more, including info about the already-starting attacks against the man suggested by House Speaker Dennis Hastert to replace Delay: Rep. David Dreier R- district 26 (California).
If Delay has done something wrong here, you won’t find me defending him. As the President says, we should let the legal process work.
PM Update: Check my latest post at Blogs For Bush for more thoughts on this.
Instead of letting the system work, DeLay has already been tried and convicted in the MSM and by the dems. Wasn’t it Howard Dean who said something along the lines of “he should go to Texas and serve his jail time” BEFORE he was ever indicted?
Comment by scmommy @ 9/28/2005 - 2:33 pm
You have to remember, this politically driven DA got a false indictment against Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and this DA represents the county were Burkett and his forged memos reside.
Also, this is the county where Dan Rather was the headliner for a Democrat party fundraiser.
Need I say more?
Comment by PCD @ 9/28/2005 - 2:49 pm
“this politically driven DA got a false indictment against Kay Bailey Hutchinson,”
Politically driven?
“a June 17 editorial in the Houston Chronicle noted: “During his long tenure, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has prosecuted many more Democratic officials than Republicans. The record does not support allegations that Earle is prone to partisan witch hunts.”
“Also, this is the county where Dan Rather was the headliner for a Democrat party fundraiser.
Need I say more?”
-I believe during the RNC they had a journalist provide some talking points:
LINK
Comment by FlaminLib @ 9/28/2005 - 4:57 pm
oops -here’s the link;
LINK
Comment by FlaminLib @ 9/28/2005 - 4:58 pm
I came here from the PoorMan. Don’t think we would agree on much but that’s a great name you blog under.
Comment by DavidS @ 9/28/2005 - 5:47 pm
If DeLay is found guilty — and Frist, for that matter — at what point will you people stop screaming ‘politically motivated!’ Do they have to kill someone — or worse, have sex with an intern — before you will admit wrong doing by your heros?
Comment by eli @ 9/28/2005 - 5:51 pm
I’m seriously trying to figure out exactly what crime he’s accused of. Because corporations cannot give money to a political campaign in the 60 days before an election, a corporation gave money to a PAC — which is legal — and they donated money to the RNC to finance the campaign — which is also legal. This indictment will probably be thrown out, although the Left will smear Delay’s name for the rest of his life over this. That’s the point of all this, really.
Comment by CavalierX @ 9/28/2005 - 6:11 pm
Eli wrote, “If DeLay is found guilty”. Then he’s guilty. But not until then. He’s innocent until proven guilty.
CLinton was proven guilty (since you brought him up).
Comment by Baklava @ 9/28/2005 - 6:23 pm
scmommy: “Wasn’t it Howard Dean who said something along the lines of “he should go to Texas and serve his jail time” BEFORE he was ever indicted?”
LOL - yeah, and wasn’t he also the same guy who didn’t want us to proclaim OBL guilty before he had a trial?
Flamin: I don’t know who that is, and I fail to see your point. Are you saying that person had the same stature in the media as Dan Rather?
David:Thanks! Welcome to the ST blog.
Eli:Eli, I suggest you take a look around the blogosphere. Some conservatives are calling this politically motivated - and I’m sure there’s an element of that in this, regardless of the charge, but I’ve seen quite a few who’ve said that if Delay has indeed done something wrong here, then he deserves what he gets. OTOH, I don’t recall many Clinton supporters - some of whom ALSO claimed that everything the Republicans did to him was ‘politicaly motivated’ - acting and saying similar things about Clinton … until he left office. Your hyperbole is noted, however.
Cav: Yep, if it’s found that Delay did nothing illegal, the presumption of guilt here is all that matters. If he’s not guilty of this, he’s still guilty of being an eevil Republican to the usual suspects, which is just fine by them.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 9/28/2005 - 6:41 pm
>if it’s found that Delay did nothing
>illegal
The thing that really bugs me is, he’s not even being accused of doing anything illegal, as far as anyone knows. It’s exactly like the false Plame name-leak accusation against Karl Rove. Once again, the Left has their man arrested, tried, declared guilty, sentenced and hung… but no one can so much as name the crime he was supposedly guilty of committing.
Comment by CavalierX @ 9/28/2005 - 6:48 pm
Cavalier,
He is being accused of conspiring to funnel corporate funds to Republican candidates for the Texas House of Representatives. In Texas, corporate funds can never be used to directly finance candidates in state races, however, they can be used for issue “education”. Allegedly, the corporations donated money to the RNC or a national PAC. The same funds were then given to the candidates.
–Mistress
Comment by webmistress @ 9/28/2005 - 7:12 pm
Once the legal process is finished, let the political chips fall on any head that deserves them, Democrat or Republican. I agree, ST, that the belief in getting rid of all corrupt politicians seems to separate conservatives from liberals. Conservatives have drilled their own guys, when necessary, as much as they have the opposition.
Comment by Bachbone @ 9/28/2005 - 7:58 pm
Absolutely, Bach!
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 9/28/2005 - 8:28 pm
This is going to backfire on the Democrats. Earle went to seven different grand juries before he got this indictment. Shades of Dan Rather and Mary Mapes chasing the Bush was AWOL fantasy. It is a valid comparison since both Democrat conspiracies originated in Travis County, Texas.
When will someone publish ALL of Earle’s politically driven indictments? The man has a track record. He won’t be able to run away from his misuse of his office because DeLay is going to pursue charges after he is exhonorated, aquitted, found not guilty.
Comment by PCD @ 9/29/2005 - 11:47 am
PCD,
What if Delay really is guilty?
–Mistress
Comment by webmistress @ 9/29/2005 - 1:41 pm
There is a lot that goes on in political fundraising that I don’t care for even when it’s legal. I’m withholding my judgment on this. The play the MSM is giving this doesn’t pass the “smell test.” One could even say it has a certain “stench” to it, to borrow a reporter’s term from yesterday. That Earl prosecuted Democrats when there were next to no Republicans in Texas politics just shows that he has always used his office for political purposes.
I suspect this is just another political attack.
Comment by Evon @ 9/29/2005 - 4:06 pm
Webmistress wrote, “What if Delay really is guilty?” Then he’ll be found guilty.
Is someone innocent until proven guilty Webmistress?
Comment by Baklava @ 9/29/2005 - 7:19 pm
Webmistress wrote, “Allegedly, the corporations donated money to the RNC or a national PAC. The same funds were then given to the candidates.”
Logic is good.
Let’s do this. If someone pays my company (which will remain unnamed) money. And then my company pays someone else. Where does someone determine that those were the SAME FUNDS as Democrats are alleging? In no bookeeping system do you designate something as being the same funds. It is income or revenue. And then their are expenditures and you categorize your expenditures. Where does anyone get off thinking that their donation to the RNC or DNC will be spent EXACTLY as they wish as if they had control of the funds?
There is no logic to the charge and it’ll be hillarious to see what manipulations you guys have to go through to make believe someone is guilty of something when it is impossible. People like Martha are convicted though so I’m sure Delay can get convicted just because people don’t like him.
Comment by Baklava @ 9/29/2005 - 7:23 pm
Baklava,
Sure. Delay is most definitely innocent until proven guilty. I state this unequivocally. It is the law of the land and one of our most basic rights.
Please note that I wrote “allegedly” in my post to Cavilier. He questioned what crime Delay committed. I stated my basic understanding of Texas campaign finance law.
–Mistress
Comment by webmistress @ 9/29/2005 - 8:41 pm
Webmistress,
But you did write, “The same funds were then given to the candidates.” without any evidence. Just using Democrat talking points….
Did you understand my second post? It addresses your sentence (the talking point)
Comment by Baklava @ 9/29/2005 - 8:46 pm
Baklava,
I’ll bite. “The same funds were then ‘ALLEGEDLY’ given to the candidates.”
I’m not purporting to give evidence in the case. I was trying to explain the pertinent points of Texas campaign finance laws.
–Mistress
Comment by webmistress @ 9/29/2005 - 10:08 pm
Mr. Earl, it seems has a history of using his office for carrying out vendettas regardless of party affiliation. He also has a history of getting indictments laughed out of court as was the case with Kay Bailey-Hutchinson. A history of commenting about on-going investigations and grand jury leaks. That is whats known, in most states, as prosecutorial misconduct. I also think his allowing a film crew to record his latest “victory” while it was in-the-making should also qualify him to be disbarred.
Even if Delay did to what is alleged in the indictment (actually there is only a very vague charge with no factual statement to support it), Earl’s conduct of the matter has put the case in jeopardy. If Delay is guilty then let him receive the disgrace he would then deserv. Until such time as he is convicted, Mr. Earl’s conduct deserves scrutiny as well.
Comment by J Rob @ 9/30/2005 - 9:59 am
Webmistress,
Cool. Please post the law that was broken so we can read it.
Too much talking points and analysis by the media makes them non-reporters in my opinion.
Comment by Baklava @ 9/30/2005 - 1:41 pm
Baklava said: Is someone innocent until proven guilty Webmistress?
Webmistress said: Sure. Delay is most definitely innocent until proven guilty. I state this unequivocally. It is the law of the land and one of our most basic rights.
Actually if Tom Delay broke the law, he became guilty when he broke the law. The law of the land is, “a person is considered innocent until they are proven guilty”, but that doesn’t mean they are innocent. I’m not saying Tom Delay broke the law, that’s for a judge and jury to decide, but if he did break the law, he is guilty.
Comment by Brian @ 10/4/2005 - 10:06 pm