The Daily Background

The day after Tom DeLay announced that he will be stepping down, two reports came out that both suggest the same thing: Tom DeLay is in legal trouble, heading into a high-profile corruption-related money-laundering case (a felony which can net several years under Texas state law). From the recently-sold large newspaper syndicate Knight Ridder comes “Signs point to federal investigators zeroing in on DeLay,” and from the Washington Post comes “Federal Probe Has Edged Closer to Texan.”

Although DeLay is not in court yet, I’m guessing that the reason he’ll be formally resigning within 60 days, is that he’s expecting that his court case is expected to start right around that time, or slightly afterwards. His attorneys had hoped it would start in December, but Prosecutors have pushed that back, while they try to re-secure a second indictment which they DeLay originally managed to get thrown out. KR:

Rep. Tom DeLay’s decision to leave Congress ends his political problems, but his legal woes may be far from over.

The former House majority leader announced his resignation three days after court documents revealed that federal investigators have uncovered evidence of corruption in his leadership office. Tony Rudy, former deputy chief of staff to the powerful Republican congressman from Texas, admitted in a plea agreement that he sold his influence to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff while he was working for DeLay.

Washington Post continues back to back with its new article:

DeLay faces a trial later this year on money-laundering charges in Texas that stems from an October 2005 indictment related to corporate contributions to state elections in 2001 and 2002. Since then, two former aides and one of his most prominent contributors have pleaded guilty in a separate federal probe to crimes including conspiracy; wire, tax and mail fraud; and corruption of public officials.

The picture appeared to darken further last week with the guilty plea of Tony C. Rudy, DeLay’s former deputy chief of staff. Edwin A. Buckham, the lawmaker’s former chief of staff and his closest political and spiritual adviser, was described in court documents filed in the case as someone who collaborated with Rudy, Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former DeLay aide Michael Scanlon. They arranged payments, trips and favors that the department’s investigators charged were part of an illegal conspiracy, according to the documents.

DeLay himself was formally designated as “Representative #2″ in the documents, a title that cannot be considered a good omen. The lawmaker designated in the same documents as Representative #1 — Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) — has been cited by the Justice Department as having received “things of value” for performing official acts.

The article continues to explain that DeLay is expected to use his campaign funds to cover legal fees which will no doubt be piling up in the coming months.

Filed under: DeLay Related, Z-TDB Blog