(Fox News) Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who was at one time one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress, was convicted Wednesday on charges he illegally funneled corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002, which could send him to prison possibily 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 tried to have the trial moved away from Austin since it's one of the most liberal cities 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 December 20.
Prosecutors said DeLay, who once held the No. 2 post 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 emails and other documents. DeLay's attorneys presented five witnesses. Travis County District Attorney Rosemary 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 would also be eligible for probation.
Prosecutors say 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 do 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 use legally in Texas. They stated that 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 now is retired. Lehmberg, who replaced Earle, claims this trial wasn't about criminalizing politics. She claims it's about holding public officials accountable and that no one is above the law and all persons have to abide by the law, no mattter how lofty of a position they hold.
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.
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