UPDATED BELOW
With a minor tweak, Doonesbury® said it best:
BREAKING from The Houston Chronicle:
DeLay convicted of money laundering charges
By R.G. RATCLIFFE
AUSTIN BUREAU
Nov. 24, 2010, 4:56PM
11 minutes agoAUSTIN – A Travis County jury today found former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay guilty of political money laundering charges relating to a corporate money swap in the 2002 elections.
The verdict came down five years after DeLay was forced to step down as the second most powerful Republican in the U.S. House. The charges also led DeLay to resign from his Sugar Land congressional seat in 2006.
DeLay was accused of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. On the conspiracy charge, DeLay faces a sentence of two to 20 years in prison and five to 99 years or life in prison on the money laundering count.
In preparation for the 2002 elections, DeLay cloned his Americans for a Republican Majority political committee as Texans for a Republican Majority. TRMPAC was designed to help Republicans win a state House majority in preparation for a mid-decade congressional redistricting in 2003.
That redistricting helped the Republicans take a 17-15 majority from the Democrats and win a 21-11 GOP majority in the 2004 elections.
At the center of the case against DeLay was an exchange of $190,000 in corporate donations to TRMPAC for an equal amount of money donated by individuals to the Republican National Committee. The RNC money was given to seven Texas candidates specified by TRMPAC.
Corporate money cannot be used in candidate campaigns in Texas.
Oh frabjous day! Calooh! Callay!
We have something special to be thankful for: Here’s one turkey that won’t be pardoned for Thanksgiving.
Courage.
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UPDATE 1 @ 6:24 PM 24 Nov.: There’s a nifty little video from Austin’s News 8 last night, with DeLay telling the reporter how pleased he is that the jury deliberations are taking so long. Get it while it’s still up.
And here’s a brand new blog posting from Richard Adams in the UK that’s very good, as well, looking at the USA through Continental eyes. Lovely title
Tom DeLay finds possible prison term of 99 years ‘very disappointing’
More as it happens. One NPR news report bizarrely led with the Tom DeLay team’s strident denunciation of the verdict before bothering to tell the listenership WHAT that verdict is. DeLay still has powerful friends in Congress, t’would seem.
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DeLay’s next TV appearance will be on “Dancing With The Cons”.
You’re probably right, Mac. My sources said it was “fersure” going to be “The Biggest Loser.” But my sources are probably unreliable.