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