The HAMMER FALLS

[TampaYankee]

Tom DeLay GUILTY: Jury Convicts Republican In Money Laundering Trial

JUAN A. LOZANO | 11/24/10 09:47 PM | AP

AUSTIN, Texas — The heavy-handed style that made Tom DeLay one of the nation's most powerful and feared members of Congress also proved to be his downfall Wednesday when a jury determined he went too far in trying to influence elections, convicting the former House majority leader on two felonies that could send him to prison for decades.

Jurors deliberated for 19 hours before returning guilty verdicts on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. He faces up to life in prison on the money laundering charge, although prosecutors haven't yet recommended a sentence.

After the verdicts were read, DeLay hugged his daughter, Danielle, and his wife, Christine. DeLay whispered into his daughter's ear that he couldn't get a fair trial in Austin. DeLay had unsuccessfully tried to get the trial moved out of Austin, the most liberal city in one of the most Republican states

DeLay's lead attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said they planned to appeal the verdict.

"This is an abuse of power. It's a miscarriage of justice, and I still maintain that I am innocent. The criminalization of politics undermines our very system and I'm very disappointed in the outcome," DeLay told reporters outside the courtroom.

He remains free on bond, and several witnesses were expected to be called during the punishment phase of his trial, tentatively scheduled to begin on Dec. 20.

Prosecutors said DeLay, who once held the No. 2 job in the House of Representatives and whose tough tactics earned him the nickname "the Hammer," used his political action committee to illegally channel $190,000 in corporate donations into 2002 Texas legislative races through a money swap.

DeLay and his attorneys maintained the former Houston-area congressman did nothing wrong as no corporate funds went to Texas candidates and the money swap was legal.

The verdict came after a three-week trial in which prosecutors presented more than 30 witnesses and volumes of e-mails and other documents. DeLay's attorneys presented five witnesses.

"This case is a message from the citizens of the state of Texas that the public officials they elect to represent them must do so honestly and ethically, and if not, they'll be held accountable," Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg said after the verdict.

Lehmberg said prosecutors will decide in the next few weeks what sentence they will recommend in the case to Senior Judge Pat Priest.

DeLay chose Priest to sentence him rather than the jury. He faces five years to life in prison on the money laundering charge and two to 20 years on the conspiracy charge. He also would be eligible for probation.

Jurors, who left the courthouse right after the verdict was read, declined to comment to reporters, only saying that it had been a tough decision for them to make.

The jury had sent numerous notes to Priest during its deliberations, which began on Monday. Many of the notes asked various legal questions that at one point had prompted the judge to say the panel wasn't on the right track. But at the end of Tuesday, jurors had indicated they were making progress.

Prosecutors said DeLay conspired with two associates, John Colyandro and Jim Ellis, to use his Texas-based PAC to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Washington-based Republican National Committee, or RNC. The RNC then sent the same amount to seven Texas House candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money can't go directly to political campaigns.

Prosecutors claim the money helped Republicans take control of the Texas House. That enabled the GOP majority to push through a Delay-engineered congressional redistricting plan that sent more Texas Republicans to Congress in 2004 – and strengthened DeLay's political power.

DeLay's attorneys argued the money swap resulted in the seven candidates getting donations from individuals, which they could legally use in Texas.

They also said DeLay only lent his name to the PAC and had little involvement in how it was run. Prosecutors, who presented mostly circumstantial evidence, didn't prove he committed a crime, they said.

DeLay contended the charges against him were a political vendetta by Ronnie Earle, the former Democratic Travis County district attorney who originally brought the case and is now retired.

Lehmberg, who replaced Earle, said the trial was not about criminalizing politics.

"This was about holding public officials accountable, that no one is above the law and all persons have to abide by the law, no matter how powerful or lofty the position he or she might hold," she said.

Craig McDonald, the director of Texans for Public Justice, a liberal watchdog group whose complaints with the Travis County District Attorney's Office helped lead to the investigation of DeLay's PAC, said he was pleased by the verdict.

"We can't undo the 2002 election, but a jury wisely acted to hold DeLay accountable for conspiring to steal it."

The 2005 criminal charges in Texas, as well as a separate federal investigation of DeLay's ties to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, ended his 22-year political career representing suburban Houston. The Justice Department probe into DeLay's ties to Abramoff ended without any charges filed against DeLay.

Ellis and Colyandro, who face lesser charges, will be tried later.

Except for a 2009 appearance on ABC's hit television show "Dancing With the Stars," DeLay has been out of the spotlight since resigning from Congress in 2006. He now runs a consulting firm based in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land.

See the original article at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/24/tom-delay-guilty-money-laundering_n_788325.html

[TampaYankee]

This guy makes Nancy Pelosi look like a kindergarten teacher when it comes to political maneuvering of the House.

Now he has been found guilty of serious criminal behavior too (finally). He says it was just good old fashioned politics. There is a reason they called this guy the Hammer. We'll see if this hold up on appeal. This represents only the tip of the iceberg. They couldn't get him for Abramhoff. I suspect K Street could send in up the river for a millineum if they talked. No doubt he believes that is the way politics works. That is his problem.

[RA1]

How many pols might say, there, but for the grace of God, go I?

Best regards,

RA1

[TampaYankee]

How many pols might say, there, but for the grace of God, go I?

Best regards,

RA1

LOL... how true. Just to be bipartisan, Murtha deserved his own trip up the river too, not to imply they are equal. Murtha was just a thief by seniority while Delay broke the law to corrupt the democratic process to usurp political power that led to bribes and payoffs to perpetuate power and steer money to his allies. No doubt many on both sides of the aisle would win accommodations at Club Fed if the keys to their closets were available to the DOJ. After all, we are talking about politicians.

[Guest zipperzone]

Does anyone here actually think that Tommy baby will do time?

[RA1]

He has suffered the highest penalty usually offered to a pol and that is being removed (in this case, resigning) from political office, the ultimate source of their fame and fortune. Going to jail might just be adding insult to injury, rather than injury to insult.

I once read that crimes of passion, such as murder, are often just one time events and the perp is most likely to never committ another crime. That might lead one to wonder if this catharsis and ultimately regret is not sufficient at least mental punishment. Of course, society is generally not that forgiving and murderers usually have to serve some time, not always. I am sort of comparing pols losing their political power to that of a murderer committing a crime of passion; the result is punishment enough.

Best regards,

RA1

[TampaYankee]

He has suffered the highest penalty usually offered to a pol and that is being removed (in this case, resigning) from political office, the ultimate source of their fame and fortune. Going to jail might just be adding insult to injury, rather than injury to insult.

I once read that crimes of passion, such as murder, are often just one time events and the perp is most likely to never committ another crime. That might lead one to wonder if this catharsis and ultimately regret is not sufficient at least mental punishment. Of course, society is generally not that forgiving and murderers usually have to serve some time, not always. I am sort of comparing pols losing their political power to that of a murderer committing a crime of passion; the result is punishment enough.

Best regards,

RA1

There is a reason society exacts punishments for what may be one-time transgression of passion: to keep the aggrieved from exacting their own punishment. Society takes personal judgement out of it and substitutes institutional process based on impartial jurors removed from the passions of the individuals involved. Else we have a lot of score settling, not always justly or even the right parties.

As for politicans suffering the greatest punishment through loss of their job, I think that depends on the politician and the crime. Many policticians are punihsed every election by defeat at the polls and view it as a natural part of political life. A disappoint sure, but life goes on.

For Delay it was a heavy punishment given that he worked his way up to Speaker of the House. However, his crime was great in that he subverted the democratic process in his state that influenced the government policy of the United States.

He corrupted the Texas electoral process. In this case just losing his office is insufficient recognition of the crime and the damage it did to the people, other politicans and the oppostion party. Certainly he will never do this again. However he and this case are an example to others for good or ill. If he sits five years in jail, even Club Fed, it will increase the ante for the next pol in either party that decides to subvert the democratic process.

I will be suprised if that happens though. I expect a hand slap at best but who knows, maybe he drew Judge Roy Bean?

[Guest zipperzone]

I will be suprised if that happens though. I expect a hand slap at best but who knows, maybe he drew Judge Roy Bean?

They should ship him to Arizona and that crazy sheriff wou makes them wear pink underwear and sleep in tents

[RA1]

Are you speaking of my hero, Sheriff Joe Arpaio?

Best regards,

RA1

[RA1]

TY-

I am not defending this guy. I was only suggesting what you spelled out, that he had achieved a high position in our political process and then, lost it all. I am relatively sure HE thinks he was punishied enough. Incarceration does not seem to affect the recidivism rate among "common" criminals and I have not noticed any such among pols either. They MIGHT tend to be more careful, but that is about it.

Best regards,

RA1

[Guest zipperzone]

Are you speaking of my hero, Sheriff Joe Arpaio?

Best regards,

RA1

Right - that's the S.O.B. I was referring to.

[TampaYankee]

I am relatively sure HE thinks he was punishied enough.

Quite the contrary, he thinks he has been wrongly punished. He feels he has done no wrong. Any punishment is not only too much, it is totally unwarranted. That includes driving him from office.

Incarceration does not seem to affect the recidivism rate among "common" criminals.

Maybe not but it does seem to lessen the number of cases of 'kin' seeking their own brand of justice.

and I have not noticed any such among pols either. They MIGHT tend to be more careful, but that is about it.

I disagree about the pols. Usually a stint in the Big House and they almost never run for office again. Even fewer get elected. No signs that most, on the outside as civilians, continue their illicit behavior after serving time. Not sayin' it doesnt happen. Just no significant track record of it out there.

[RA1]

Doesn't every wrong doer think he has been punished enough? That was my point.

I don't know about kin seeking retribution. I do think they are all angry.

You might be right about pols, meaning after they have been convicted, they seldom seek office again. However, I can cite several instances to the contrary in Memphis and Shelby County, TN. Amazing to me.

Then, we have the cases of the mayor of PHL "serving" while in jail and others of the same situation doing the same.

Best regards,

RA1

[Guest zipperzone]

You might be right about pols, meaning after they have been convicted, they seldom seek office again. However, I can cite several instances to the contrary in Memphis and Shelby County, TN. Amazing to me.

Then, we have the cases of the mayor of PHL "serving" while in jail and others of the same situation doing the same.

Best regards,

RA1

Let's not forget about that crazy-assed mayor of Washington, D.C. What was his name? Marion Barry?

[RA1]

You are correct Zip, Marion Barry. I am sorry to say he was originally a citizen of MEM. I cannot understand why he is not permanently in jail. He was caught doing all kinds of illegal drugs, bribing various officials, accepting bribes himself, etc., etc. But, here he is, now a council person in DC. How awkward.

Best regards,

RA1

[Lucky]

Are you speaking of my hero, Sheriff Joe Arpaio?

Best regards,

RA1

Surely you jest!

[RA1]

Of course, I jest. I have no time for either Marion Berry or the sheriff. Shall one overcome the other? There is a lot of room for advancement, isn't there?

Best regards,

RA1