DeLay indictedFollow

To get back on track though did you guys also hear about Bill Frist being under investigation for selling stock in the hospital his family owns right before it took a dive?

I've seen a couple stories about it (CNN & The Paper That Shall Not Be Named) but it's still in the "beginning investigation" phase so I imagine there's not much news to be had aside from the point that it's happening. TPTSNBN had a story about the SEC chief stepping aside on the investigation to avoid a conflict of interest as he's apparently involved in the GOP.

DeLay, know as "the Hammer" on Capitol Hill, came out swinging and proclaimed his innocence after word broke that a Texas grand jury charged him and two associates with violating a law banning corporate contributions to state candidates.

The charge came after a long investigation by Democratic district attorney Ronald Earle that DeLay has always portrayed as a political witch hunt.

"I have done nothing wrong," said DeLay, calling Earle a "rogue prosecutor" and a "partisan fanatic."

"I am innocent," he said. "This is one of the weakest, most baseless indictments in American history. It's a sham."

Said Earle: "My job is to prosecute felonies. I'm doing my job."

Republicans expressed support for DeLay as they selected Roy Blunt from Missouri, the current party whip in the House, to fill in temporarily.

The White House also stuck by DeLay, calling him "a good ally, a leader who we have worked closely with to get things done for the American people."

"I think the president's view is that we need to let the legal process work," said press secretary Scott McClellan.

DeLay, who will keep his seat representing Houston suburbs, vowed he'll be back, saying Democrats won't be able to disrupt the party's agenda.

But some analysts don't see it that way, especially since Republicans have other high-profile ethical concerns.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is facing questions about the timing of a stock sale in a family-owned business.

Karl Rove, White House chief of staff, has been embroiled in controversy over the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

And a top federal procurement officer appointed by Bush was arrested this month on charges that he made false statements and obstructed a federal investigation into a golfing junket arranged by lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

DeLay, 58, has long been at the centre of controversy. He was admonished three times last year by the House ethics committee for his conduct on three separate issues.

Now a Senate panel is pursuing his ties to Abramoff and questions about who paid the bills for DeLay's expensive overseas travel.

"The Republicans can't focus right now," said Charles Cushman, a politics professor at George Washington University.

"You've got this swirling set of accusations about greed, corruption and graft. This is going to follow them right up to the 2008 election. It's going to hurt a lot."

Democrat Nancy Pelosi, House minority leader, was quick off the mark Wednesday.

"The criminal indictment . . . is the latest example that Republicans in Congress are plagued by a culture of corruption at the expense of the American people," she said in a statement.

The indictment accuses DeLay of accepting $155,000 US from companies and funnelling it through the
Republican National Committee back to Texas state candidates, violating laws outlawing corporate donations.

It's a state felony punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

The indictment only needs to show enough to give cause for a trial. It's supposed to be brief, not lay out the entire case. I've no idea if DeLay is guilty or not but I wouldn't base my guesses on a short four page PDF.

There's an article in TPTSNBN about Earle and his past political cases. Apparently 12 of the 15 politicians he's gone after have been Democrats. "Fanatic partisan" might make for a nice buzz-phrase in your public defense but I'm not seeing where it holds water.

Question: Who sought the indictment?

Answer: The Texas grand jury was convened by Ronnie Earle, the Democratic district attorney of Travis County, which includes Austin. Earle has a reputation as an aggressive prosecutor, and Republicans view him as partisan. Earle points out that he also has prosecuted a number of prominent Democrats, including a former Texas House speaker and a former state attorney general.

Q: What does the indictment accuse DeLay of?

A: The indictment depicts a conspiracy among DeLay and two political associates, James Ellis and John Colyandro, to funnel political contributions from corporations to candidates for the Texas Legislature. Texas, like many states and the federal government, prohibits corporations from donating to political campaigns to prevent the appearance of undue influence on policymaking.

Q: How did it happen?

A: Prosecutors say DeLay set up a political committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, to collect corporate contributions. The indictment mentions six companies, including Sears, Roebuck & Co., that gave a total of $155,000. The money was sent to the Republican National Committee in Washington with instructions to send checks to seven candidates for Texas legislative seats. The indictment does not specify who wrote the instructions. The indictment contends that the RNC laundered the corporate funds by substituting dollars raised from individuals.

Q: What was DeLay's role?

A: The indictment leaves that unclear. It states that the three men entered into an agreement to carry out the scheme in September 2002, but it does not provide any evidence.

Q: What was the plan's purpose?

A: To ensure Republicans would control the Legislature so they could be in charge of redrawing the map of U.S. House districts in Texas after the 2002 elections.

Q: Did it work?

A: Yes. Republicans gained control of the Legislature and the GOP gained five U.S. House seats in the new map, bolstering the party's majority in Washington.

Q: What happens next?

A: The case will go to a Texas judge, who will oversee when and how it goes to trial. The timing will be politically important if the case drags into 2006, an election year for House seats. In the meantime, DeLay will be sidelined from his leadership post. House rules that require an indicted leader to step down.

Six days after an indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay on conspiracy charges roiled the political establishment, a new grand jury issued a second indictment Monday, charging him with the far more serious crime of money laundering.

Under the internal rules of the Republican Party, the conspiracy indictment forced DeLay (R-Texas) to step down from his position as House majority leader. That charge, a fourth-degree felony punishable by a state prison term of two years, came from a probe into allegations that DeLay and his lieutenants had illegally funneled corporate money into the bank accounts of Republican state candidates.

DeLay has been defiant, saying the conspiracy charge was the result of a political vendetta and vowing that he would soon be vindicated and reassume his position.

DeLay called Monday's charges "an abomination of justice." A grand jury issued an indictment charging DeLay with conspiracy to commit money laundering, a second-degree felony, and money laundering, a first-degree felony.

"This is serious stuff," said University of Texas law professor George Dix. "They have obviously upped the ante."

We'll see how this goes. But based on what I've seen so far, I can't imagine how a conviction against DeLay is possible. Unless they're hiding a bunch of evidence, I just don't see it.