Tom DeLay's indictment forced him out of the majority leadership, then out of the House. But since he left government, why isn't he in prison?
>
Sure, Tom DeLay's indictment in Texas forced him, first, out of the House majority leadership, and then out of the House itself. Unfortunately, once he was out of government, momentum seemed to flag to drag him through the meat grinder of the criminal-justice system.Even today our Tom is walking free. Now there's a growing possibility that his corporate buddies can buy him a stay-out-of-jail card. Vince Leibowitz reports on Capitol Annex:
Capitol Annex has learned that Travis County District Attorney Candidate Mindy Montford (D-Austin), daughter of AT&T lobbyist and former Texas State Senator John Montford, is putting the squeeze on corporate lobbyists--especially those with ties to the controversial Texas Association of Business--to fund her primary campaign and will, if elected drop the state’s prosecution of indicted former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugar Land).
In addition, sources advise Capitol Annex that Montford’s campaign has received a significant amount of money from AT&T lobbyists, associated PACs and ‘friends’ of the telecom giant.
Given the Travis County District Attorney’s seat is a lock for whatever candidate wins the Democratic Party’s nomination (no Republicans filed), groups like the Texas Association of Business and the business lobby have a lot riding on who wins the nomination.
Why? Because the Travis County District Attorney’s office is empowered by Texas law to prosecute public officials across the state who may break the law. Coming with this territory also are prosecutions of political action committees and groups like the Texas Association of Business that may break campaign finance laws.
Earle’s office indicted the Texas Association of Business for taking illegal political contributions from political corporations--including AT&T back in 2005.
To boot, Dick DeGuerin, Tom DeLay’s lawyer, has already crowed that he hopes a new DA will drop the case against Tom DeLay:
Houston criminal defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin represented both Hutchison and DeLay in their battles with Earle. DeGuerin said he hopes a new district attorney will review the case against DeLay and drop it.It’s also rumored that DA Ronnie Earle himself is going to come out swinging on this one and let the world know what is going on--and how corporate lobbyists are trying to buy the Travis County DA’s race.
It is expected that Earle will say something about this in a press conference with First Assistant DA Rosemary Lehmberg, which is set for 10 a.m. Monday. I’m not sure if Earle will be endorsing Lehmberg or just saying something about corporate lobbyists trying to buy this race, but either way, it’ll be an important press conference.
#
Labels: Culture of Corruption, Tom DeLay
posted by KenInNY @ 3:50 AM
18 comments
|
Reddit
18 Comments:
Best guess....and belive me, I'm just taking a shot in the dark and random....perhaps it's because it was all political and he really didn't do anything. An indictment doesn't necessarily mean your guilty, at least that's what it's supposed to mean in a system where you are innocent until proven guilty. So again, it could have just been a way for his political enemies to take revenge on him and get him out of Congress because he was an effective leader. He remains innocent and free until proven guilty. And the burden of proof rests with the prosecutors.
The point of this post isn't whether Delay is innocent or guilty. It's that he is buying his way out of facing trial through political influence and manipulations, the same kind of corruption that forced him from office. I would add that going to these lengths to short circuit the justice system is not the actions of a man who is confident he will be exonerated.
carolyn13
That "is" in my last sentence should be an "are." I can't believe I mixed tenses. Misspellings and typos are my usual vices.
carolyn13
No problem. Misspellings and typos happen to the best of us. :)
To our first anonymous, no, actually the Texas statutes are pretty clear, and the there was NOTHING political about the indictments. In fact, DeLay broke so many laws in his political rampage to remake the country as a one-party state that he should be spending the rest of his life on trial.
You may be a new DWT reader, but a major thrust of the early times of this blog was devoted to chronicling the nuts and bolts of the Republican Culture of Corruption, which wasn't the least bit of imaginary. There are about 30 former GOP House and Senate members who AREN'T in prison who were far more deeply implicated than the handful who are.
And note that none of the convicted felons went to trial--they ALL screamed their innocence in bloody indignation right up to the day they signed their plea agreements.
My theory would be: out of sight, out of mind. The DeLay prosecution is different in that it's a state prosecution, and perhaps because elements of the crime require proof of intent. But that proud class of congressional Republicrooks has clearly also benefited from the fact that so many Democrats have so little interest in calling attention to naughtinesses they might like explore themselves, albeit on a more "reasonable" scale than the flagrant corruption of the late Republican Congress.
Best,
Ken
No kidding! Along the same lines there was old Conrad Burns the illustrious former Senator from Montana in our newspaper last week going on and on about how there was never any basis to the allegations against him either and that he has finally been vindicated. What crap.
as far as the typo goes I think the "is" is fine but it should be "action" rather than "actions"
I also seem to remember hearing that about former Sen. Burns. However, I would remind the good folks at DWT that corruption knows no political boundaries. One need only look at William Jefferson, Allan Mollohan, John Murtha and ABSCAM, Gary Condit, James Traficant, the Post Office and Banking scandals of the early 1990s, and several other Democrat Members of Congress over the years to know that Washington itself has a bi-partisan culture of corruption, which is potent the longer an individual serves and his power increases. That having been said, I know that the site is to also promote an ultra-socialist, excuse me...liberal agenda, primarily of a social nature. This, of course, results in an ulterior motive in exposing the Republican aspect of this culture of corruption. So long as those who run this site keep in mind that liberals and Democrats have just as many skulls in their closets, I think everyone will get along just fine.
Thanks for the link!! I really appreciate all the traffic it has sent my way.
Nice try Ken. There is plenty political about these indictments. This DA has made a career out of political indictments. Earle once indicted an 11 year old girl on CAPITAL murder charges! He was accused of do so to help with his bid for re-election. FOUR YEARS later, he dropped the charges. Earl also went after Kay Bailey Hutchinson and failed to get a conviction. He also went after several Democrats, most notably Jim Maddox and lost again. This guy is a crackpot.
Sorry if I don’t put a lot of stock in a progressive website quoting un-named sources. I’m just not that gullible.
I guess the Texas statutes ARE pretty clear; the state election law indictments have been thrown out! The money laundering charges are still in the appeals process and most likely will also be dismissed. Like Hutchinson, in the end DeLay will be vindicated.
Just curious Dumb Fuck, are Republicans ever guilty of anything? Or does the fact that they talk a lot about honesty and family values always give them immunity when they're caught taking a bribe or sucking off a male whore in a men's bathroom?
Nobody's arguing that you're innocent 'til proven guilty in a court of law. It's the way it should be. People are wary of the fact Delay is trying to buy his way out of an indictment, with the help of plenty of fuckwad Dems in Texas apparently helping him. That and only that is the issue.
Justice-- and the country-- are probably better served with DeLay not winding up in prsion until after Bush is out of the White House and unable to pardon him.
Wishful thinking DWT, DeLay will never go on tial. The appeals court will drop the last of the charges.
I got a kick out of James_Boston's comment:
----Nobody's arguing that you're innocent 'til proven guilty in a court of law. It's the way it should be. ----
Inadvertantly he said what he thinks, not what he means. James, I certainly DO argue "that you're innocent 'til proven guilty in a court of law."
----People are wary of the fact Delay is trying to buy his way out of an indictment, ----
Here James demonstrates that he meant the Freudian slip above. In fact, people may be wary of the charge, possibility, or some other way of indicating that what is being stated is conjecture and not proven fact. I now the definition of "fact", and that a fact may be correct or incorrect, but the term is used by James to indicate his statement of "fact" and the statements of "fact" by the bloggers are in-fact TRUE.
----with the help of plenty of fuckwad Dems in Texas apparently helping him. That and only that is the issue.----
The only "fuckwad Dems in Texas" are the ones who keep sending the skumbag Earle back to office.
Mindy Montford is endorsed by the AFL-CIO.
Are they part of the conspiracy to get the charges dropped against Tom DeLay?
I see black helicopters...
Indictments are not the product of one person's will or desire. I'm not asserting that Earle has had no political motives in his life as District Attorney, but I happen to know for a fact that Earle wouldn't have indicted DeLay had he not been convinced to proceed by one of his assistants. Earle's own top assistant did not want to go forward with the indictment because of DeLay's political status. Bottom line... most people talk a good game but lack the guts to stand for what is right when the stakes are high and their d*ck is the one on the chopping block.
If you want to ask the D.A. candidates questions to clear up issues like this, then please attend "The People's D.A. Candidate Debate" on Monday, February 25th from 7:30-9:30pm at the Dell Jewish Community Center, 7300 Hart Lane, CAA Building, 2nd floor.
This will be a very good debate with a terrific moderator. Time will be given the audience to ask any questions they didn't think were answered to their liking or questions that weren't asked at all.
Why He is not in jail
1. hes not a person of color
2. he can get the best lawyer our money can buy
3. America is apathetic
4.pardon: what the treasonous do for each other
*how many in D.C. could pass a lie detector test if asked "have you participated in the commission of a felony
Post a Comment
<< Home