Category: grand jury indictment

A Shadow of the Former Hammer

Tom DeLay is indeed the proud new owner of a criminal indictment, and has in short order announced that he will be stepping aside as House Majority Leader. And it all happened while we were away at lunch. Clearly, we're going to have to start eating out a lot more often. -- HOLLY MARTINS

DeLay Indicted, Will Step Aside As Majority Leader [CNN]

READ MORE: fundraising improprieties , grand jury indictment , tom delay , travis county

Bringing the Hammer Down?

A Travis County, Tex., grand jury may hand down an indictment of Tom DeLay today, according to a report in the Austin-American Statesman. The charge looks to be a conspiracy count, stemming from the Hammer's alleged use of corporate funds for campaign purposes:

In recent days, the broad-based investigation has focused on one particular transaction that could tie back to DeLay.

In late September 2002, [John] Colyandro, the executive director of Texans for a Republican Majority, sent a blank check to Ellis, who is DeLay's primary fundraiser in Washington.

According to the money-laundering indictment returned against those two, Ellis was accused of having the Republican National Committee launder $190,000 of corporate donations into noncorporate money to seven Texas House candidates.

This does at least explain one big mystery. Any congressional leader using a blank check from his PAC director as the foundation for his campaign fundraising is going to look at a federal budget containing historic new levels of discretionary spending and declare it entirely fat-free.

We kid, but DeLay shouldn't be too worried about any pending indictment, conviction, or incarceration. We have it on very good authority that involuntary confinement in brutal, privacy-free conditions is actually "kind of fun." -- HOLLY MARTINS

Conspiracy Charge a Possibility for DeLay [Austin-American Statesman]

READ MORE: fundraising improprieties , grand jury indictment , tom delay , travis county

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