Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was sentenced Monday afternoon to three years in prison following his conviction on money-laundering and conspiracy charges. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was sentenced Monday afternoon to three years in prison following his conviction on money-laundering and conspiracy charges.
Nicknamed "The Hammer" for his uncompromising political style, DeLay was convicted on Nov. 24 on charges related to the 2002 midterm elections. Senior Judge Pat Priest sentenced DeLay to three years on the conspiracy charge, and five years on the money laundering charge. However, the Texas Republican was granted a 10-year probation on the latter, according to the Associated Press.
DeLay's attorneys had indicated they might bring as many as nine people as character witnesses, but in the end, only former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., spoke on DeLay's behalf. He played up the Texas native's devotion to religious and charitable causes.
DeLay opted to have the judge, instead of the jury, decide his fate, The Washington Post
Although the proceedings were expected to last two days, testimony was cut short after the judge refused to allow a Texas businessman to speak out against DeLay. Prosecutors said Peter Cloeren claimed the congressman had encouraged him to evade campaign finance laws in a separate case. But Priest said Cloeren's claims couldn't be proven, the American-Statesman said.
DeLay was convicted by a jury for his role in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to candidates in Texas ahead of the 2002 elections. Texas law does not permit any corporate donations to be given directly to a political campaign. DeLay's lawyers insisted the charges against the former lawmaker were politically motivated, brought because Democrats were unhappy with the congressional redistricting he pushed through in 2003. The former majority leader has maintained his innocence on all charges.
But prosecutors argued the money directly helped GOP candidates take control of the Texas state House, which in turn allowed the beneficial redistricting.
Despite the sentence, which was not unexpected, there are several possible appeals available to DeLay, according to Politics Daily's Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen.
DeLay's best argument is that the state's money laundering law was applied broadly and now appears to be odds with the Supreme Court's directive for campaign finance-related rules handed down last January in the Citizens United decision. His chances on appeal on those grounds may get some traction with the Texas appellate courts, which are typically more conservative than juries in Austin, which is where the trial took place. reported.
Nicknamed "The Hammer" for his uncompromising political style, DeLay was convicted on Nov. 24 on charges related to the 2002 midterm elections. Senior Judge Pat Priest sentenced DeLay to three years on the conspiracy charge, and five years on the money laundering charge. However, the Texas Republican was granted a 10-year probation on the latter, according to the Associated Press.
DeLay's attorneys had indicated they might bring as many as nine people as character witnesses, but in the end, only former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., spoke on DeLay's behalf. He played up the Texas native's devotion to religious and charitable causes.
DeLay opted to have the judge, instead of the jury, decide his fate, The Washington Post
Although the proceedings were expected to last two days, testimony was cut short after the judge refused to allow a Texas businessman to speak out against DeLay. Prosecutors said Peter Cloeren claimed the congressman had encouraged him to evade campaign finance laws in a separate case. But Priest said Cloeren's claims couldn't be proven, the American-Statesman said.
DeLay was convicted by a jury for his role in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to candidates in Texas ahead of the 2002 elections. Texas law does not permit any corporate donations to be given directly to a political campaign. DeLay's lawyers insisted the charges against the former lawmaker were politically motivated, brought because Democrats were unhappy with the congressional redistricting he pushed through in 2003. The former majority leader has maintained his innocence on all charges.
But prosecutors argued the money directly helped GOP candidates take control of the Texas state House, which in turn allowed the beneficial redistricting.
Despite the sentence, which was not unexpected, there are several possible appeals available to DeLay, according to Politics Daily's Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen.
DeLay's best argument is that the state's money laundering law was applied broadly and now appears to be odds with the Supreme Court's directive for campaign finance-related rules handed down last January in the Citizens United decision. His chances on appeal on those grounds may get some traction with the Texas appellate courts, which are typically more conservative than juries in Austin, which is where the trial took place. reported.
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