Tom DeLay has finally been indicted

Today a Texas grand jury charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme. DeLay was accused of criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay's national political committee.

DeLay's response: "I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County district attorney today."

The charge carries a potential two-year sentence, which forces DeLay to step down under House Republican rules.

The indictment accused DeLay of a conspiracy to "knowingly make a political contribution" in violation of Texas law outlawing corporate contributions. It alleged that DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee accepted $155,000 from companies, including Sears Roebuck, and placed the money in an account.

The PAC then wrote a $190,000 check to an arm of the Republican National Committee and provided the committee a document with the names of Texas State House candidates and the amounts they were supposed to received in donations.

The indictment included a copy of the check.

Despite this evidence, DeLay's spokesman, Kevin Madden, dismissed the charge as politically motivated. "This indictment is nothing more than prosecutorial retribution by a partisan Democrat," Madden said, citing prosecutor Ronnie Earle, a Democrat.

All-righty then. Let's hear it for prosecutorial retribution.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092800270.html