AP News Alert:
WASHINGTON (AP) A Texas grand jury has indicted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, his lawyer said
From the
USA Today story:
A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader.
DeLay needs to step aside immediately as Majority Leader and let somebody get in there who isn't tainted by scandal get the job done. The conservative agenda has languished under DeLay's so-called leadership and it is time for him to get out of the way.
Insta-Update
On WLW, Bill Cunningham just called for DeLay to step aside as well. The movement grows...
1:40PM Update
Another AP News Alert:
WASHINGTON (AP) Congressional sources say House Speaker Dennis Hastert will recommend Rep. David Dreier of California step into indicted leader Tom DeLay's duties.
Here is the statement from DeLay's office (via the
Corner:
(WASHINGTON) - Kevin Madden, spokesman for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (TX) today released the following statement regarding today's announcement by the Travis County (TX) District Attorney's Office:
"These charges have no basis in the facts or the law. This is just another example of Ronnie Earle misusing his office for partisan vendettas. Despite the clearly political agenda of this prosecutor, Congressman DeLay has cooperated with officials throughout the entire process. Even in the last two weeks, Ronnie Earle himself had acknowledged publicly that Mr. DeLay was not a target of his investigation. However, as with many of Ronnie Earle's previous partisan investigations, Ronnie Earle refused to let the facts or the law get in the way of his partisan desire to indict a political foe.
This purely political investigation has been marked by illegal grand jury leaks, a fundraising speech by Ronnie Earle for Texas Democrats that inappropriately focused on the investigation, misuse of his office for partisan purposes, and extortion of money for Earle's pet projects from corporations in exchange for dismissing indictments he brought against them. Ronnie Earle's previous misuse of his office has resulted in failed prosecutions and we trust his partisan grandstanding will strike out again, as it should.
Ronnie Earle's 1994 indictment against Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was quickly dismissed and his charges in the 1980s against former Attorney General Jim Mattox-another political foe of Earle-fell apart at trial.
We regret the people of Texas will once again have their taxpayer dollars wasted on Ronnie Earle's pursuit of headlines and political paybacks. Ronnie Earle began this investigation in 2002, after the Democrat Party lost the Texas state legislature to Republicans. For three years and through numerous grand juries, Ronnie Earle has tried to manufacture charges against Republicans involved in winning those elections using arcane statutes never before utilized in a case in the state. This indictment is nothing more than prosecutorial retribution by a partisan Democrat."
I report, you decide...
2:30PM Update
Another AP News Alert:
WASHINGTON (AP) Rep. Tom DeLay says he will step down temporarily as House Majority Leader following his indictment in Texas.
Good.
