Miscarriage of Justice - Rep. Tom DeLay
Further proof that success has its cost.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay stepped down from that post to battle the politically motivated inditment leveled by democrats in a texas court. House rules required him to step down from his leadership post pending the outcome of the case.
DeLay was first charged with conspiracy to violate the state election code, which bans the direct use of corporate money for political campaigns.
His lawyers filed court papers Monday attacking that charge. Hours later, a new grand jury brought an indictment against DeLay that included one count of conspiracy to launder money and one count of money laundering.
Lawyers argued the original indictment was based on a conspiracy provision that the Legislature added to the law in 2003. Yet, The indictment alleges that the illegal act date was in 2002. DeGuerin accused Earle of “trying to patch up a terrible blunder he made last week for indicting Mr. DeLay for something that wasn’t a crime.”
DeGuerin also said both of DeLay’s co-defendants were offered “sweet deals” by the prosecutors if they pleaded guilty to a minor charge and testified against DeLay. Both men refused, DeGuerin said.
“We have inquired carefully into the case” and “failed to find a bill of indictment against him,” the grand jury said. A judge then issued an order of “no-bill” for DeLay and his associates Jim Ellis and John Colyandro.
The prosecutors have only up to three years after the alleged crimes to bring a charge of conspiracy or money laundering. Because the case is based on actions during the 2002 election season, time is running out this fall to pursue charges.
The trumped up charge is "conspiracy" and "money laundering" in regards to 2002 campaign contributions to and from a PAC.
Conspiracy is often the charge when no evidence of wrong doing can be put forward.
“I have not seen a criminal conspiracy case in Texas for a long, long time,” said Austin-based defense attorney Ray Bass, who is not involved in the DeLay case. “In the last 20 years, I can’t even think of one.”
posted by Lord Wolfen @ 10/06/2005 04:25:00 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Last week DeGuerin:
Ronnie Earle needs to be exposed for what he is. And that is he‘s a partisan prosecutor, using the grand jury, using the power of his office to try to destroy someone who‘s been elected by the people.
Oct 21st and the battle for justice continues.
In respectful tones, DeGuerin noted that Perkins had donated money to MoveOn.org, a liberal organization that he said has been “selling T-shirts with Mr. DeLay’s mug shot on it.”
Priest commented, "I am not cheap" in regards to his giving $450 to three Democratic members of the Texas House in 2004.
“All we want is a fair trial and a fair tribunal,” DeGuerin told reporters outside the courthouse.
A Judges ruling in Austin has granted DeLay a different judge to hear the Earl case. Now if DeLay can get a change of venue and a speedy trial things will be looking up.
To date, Earle has not gathered compelling testimony from other witnesses or found documents that portray DeLay as the mastermind of the $190,000 transfers.
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