Tom DeLay raised $12M from outside companies who had business before the House. He passed the money on to selected 2002 House races in Texas. With the money, the Republicans took the Texas House, pushed through a gerrymandered redistricting, and created more safe Congressmen in the US House — all of whom owed it to Tom DeLay, ensuring he was elected Majority Leader.
There was just one problem: it was all a violation of Texas campaign finance law. They didn’t care — they presumed they wouldn’t be prosecuted because the state attorney general is a Republican supporter (and former Karl Rove client).
But there was one thing they weren’t counting on. The DA for the county which includes the statehouse has jurisdiction to prosecute violations of public integrity. He’s at the end of his career, he’s running unopposed, and he wants to make a mark. So he’s subpoenaing and deposing everyone in front of a grand jury, building a case to take DeLay down.
(The above is a summary of Salon.com’s Tom DeLay’s funny-money trail.)
posted March 12, 2004 12:39 PM (Politics) (4 comments) #