Tom DeLay Sentenced to 3 Years

[Political Junky]

Tom DeLay gets three years' jail in money laundering case | World news | The Guardian


A leading figure in George Bush's Republican party, Tom DeLay, was sentenced today to three years in prison on accusations that he by-passed political funding laws to forward his own electoral interests.

DeLay remains a free man, released on $10,000 bail pending appeal. But his sentence runs to five years in prison, reduced to three years with the addition of 10 years on probation.

 

[MarcATL]

Yah...I saw this and snickered.

I wish he got 10.

I really hope and pray they don't release him early or give him time leniency.

 

[jillian]

Tom DeLay gets three years' jail in money laundering case | World news | The Guardian


A leading figure in George Bush's Republican party, Tom DeLay, was sentenced today to three years in prison on accusations that he by-passed political funding laws to forward his own electoral interests.

DeLay remains a free man, released on $10,000 bail pending appeal. But his sentence runs to five years in prison, reduced to three years with the addition of 10 years on probation.

 

[MarcATL]

I wish he got 10 years, with an additional 10 on probate.

 

[Missourian]

I saw what he did...it doesn't look illegal to me.

He helped corporations donate to the National RNC and then the RNC donated to Texas Republicans.

The Texas law only prohibited corporations from making donations directly to Texas Candidates.

While a case can be made that this was shady...by the letter of the law, it wasn't illegal.

Where am I wrong in this?

 

[Sallow]

He'll wind up doing a year..if that.

 

[uscitizen]

I saw what he did...it doesn't look illegal to me.

He helped corporations donate to the National RNC and then the RNC donated to Texas Republicans.

The Texas law only prohibited corporations from making donations directly to Texas Candidates.

While a case can be made that this was shady...by the letter of the law, it wasn't illegal.

Where am I wrong in this?

You got me as to where you are wrong, however I am not a legal expert, I do think that if it were not illegal his high paid lawyers would have gotten him off.

 

[goldcatt]

I saw what he did...it doesn't look illegal to me.

He helped corporations donate to the National RNC and then the RNC donated to Texas Republicans.

The Texas law only prohibited corporations from making donations directly to Texas Candidates.

While a case can be made that this was shady...by the letter of the law, it wasn't illegal.

Where am I wrong in this?

Conspiracy to commit money laundering means the corporations making those contributions may or may not have been aware where that money was going, but the sums given to TX GOP candidates matched the amounts given by the corporations exactly. Which makes it look like the National GOP was basically a strawman in the transaction, it was only transferred through them to make it look "clean".

While I don't have a trial transcript and am not exactly willing to pay for one to prove the point, the jury would have seen the accounting showing the funds were traceable. They obviously thought it was enough to convict.

There will be an appeal. Sounds like DeLay's already filed his notice of intent if he got bail. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Oh, and where's Samson? We had a bet on this.

 

[Missourian]

I saw what he did...it doesn't look illegal to me.

He helped corporations donate to the National RNC and then the RNC donated to Texas Republicans.

The Texas law only prohibited corporations from making donations directly to Texas Candidates.

While a case can be made that this was shady...by the letter of the law, it wasn't illegal.

Where am I wrong in this?

You got me as to where you are wrong, however I am not a legal expert, I do think that if it were not illegal his high paid lawyers would have gotten him off.

I don't know either...I just read it today on MSNBC when I saw it in the margin ad.

After a month-long trial in November, a jury determined that he conspired with two associates to use his Texas-based political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Washington-based Republican National Committee. The RNC then sent the same amount to seven Texas House candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money can't go directly to political campaigns.

Judge sentences DeLay to 3 years in prison - Politics - More politics - msnbc.com

​

It doesn't look like the money went directly to political campaigns...it looks like the money went to the RNC and then the RNC sent it to campaigns.

 

[jillian]

I saw what he did...it doesn't look illegal to me.

He helped corporations donate to the National RNC and then the RNC donated to Texas Republicans.

The Texas law only prohibited corporations from making donations directly to Texas Candidates.

While a case can be made that this was shady...by the letter of the law, it wasn't illegal.

Where am I wrong in this?

You got me as to where you are wrong, however I am not a legal expert, I do think that if it were not illegal his high paid lawyers would have gotten him off.

I don't know either...I just read it today on MSNBC when I saw it in the margin ad.

After a month-long trial in November, a jury determined that he conspired with two associates to use his Texas-based political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Washington-based Republican National Committee. The RNC then sent the same amount to seven Texas House candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money can't go directly to political campaigns.

Judge sentences DeLay to 3 years in prison - Politics - More politics - msnbc.com

​

It doesn't look like the money went directly to political campaigns...it looks like the money went to the RNC and then the RNC sent it to campaigns.

it's called money laundering to try to get around the letter and spirit of the law

 

[rdean]

If he went to the Republican House right now, they would give him a "standing ovation".

 

[uscitizen]

If he went to the Republican House right now, they would give him a "standing ovation".

Yep, they view Ollie North as a hero for dealing weapons to an avowed enemy of the USA.

 

[del]

I saw what he did...it doesn't look illegal to me.

He helped corporations donate to the National RNC and then the RNC donated to Texas Republicans.

The Texas law only prohibited corporations from making donations directly to Texas Candidates.

While a case can be made that this was shady...by the letter of the law, it wasn't illegal.

Where am I wrong in this?

You got me as to where you are wrong, however I am not a legal expert, I do think that if it were not illegal his high paid lawyers would have gotten him off.

I don't know either...I just read it today on MSNBC when I saw it in the margin ad.

After a month-long trial in November, a jury determined that he conspired with two associates to use his Texas-based political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Washington-based Republican National Committee. The RNC then sent the same amount to seven Texas House candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money can't go directly to political campaigns.

Judge sentences DeLay to 3 years in prison - Politics - More politics - msnbc.com

​

It doesn't look like the money went directly to political campaigns...it looks like the money went to the RNC and then the RNC sent it to campaigns.

that's why they call it money laundering

 

[Sallow]

If he went to the Republican House right now, they would give him a "standing ovation".

Yep, they view Ollie North as a hero for dealing weapons to an avowed enemy of the USA.

Well yeah..but it was part of a larger plot...to get money to nun-raping "Freedom Fighters" after the Congress said no.

No harm done.

 

[EriktheRed]

 

[EriktheRed]

Couldn't happen to a nicer piece of shit.​

 

[Chris]

A judge sentenced the former Texas congressman Tom Delay to three years in prison Monday for conspiring to direct laundered corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. Last November, a jury had also found Mr. DeLay guilty of money laundering, and he accepted 10 years of probation for that in lieu of an additional five years of prison time. In the meantime, his attorneys are appealing the conviction.

DeLay was found guilty of conspiring in 2002 to use his political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate contributions to the Republican National Committee, which then sent the money to candidates for the Texas House. That year, the Republicans gained control of the state legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. That new majority then redrew Texas congressional districts in a way that favored the Republicans. In the next election, 2004, Republicans defeated five Democratic incumbents in the US House.

Tom DeLay, former House majority leader, sentenced to three years in prison - CSMonitor.com

merged-del

 

[Yurt]

i love how unbiased the media is:

leading figure in George Bush's Republican party, Tom DeLay

hmmm, when rangle or other dems get busted, you don't hear:

leading figure in obama's democratic party

 

[Missourian]

You got me as to where you are wrong, however I am not a legal expert, I do think that if it were not illegal his high paid lawyers would have gotten him off.

I don't know either...I just read it today on MSNBC when I saw it in the margin ad.

After a month-long trial in November, a jury determined that he conspired with two associates to use his Texas-based political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Washington-based Republican National Committee. The RNC then sent the same amount to seven Texas House candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money can't go directly to political campaigns.

Judge sentences DeLay to 3 years in prison - Politics - More politics - msnbc.com

​

It doesn't look like the money went directly to political campaigns...it looks like the money went to the RNC and then the RNC sent it to campaigns.

it's called money laundering to try to get around the letter and spirit of the law

The money laundering statute in Texas says:

§ 34.02. MONEY LAUNDERING. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly:
(1) acquires or maintains an interest in, conceals, possesses, transfers, or transports the proceeds of criminal activity;
(2) conducts, supervises, or facilitates a transaction involving the proceeds of criminal activity;
(3) invests, expends, or receives, or offers to invest, expend, or receive, the proceeds of criminal activity or funds that the person believes are the proceeds of criminal activity; or
(4) finances or invests or intends to finance or invest funds that the person believes are intended to further the commission of criminal activity.

​

1, 2, 3 are out...donations are not "the proceeds of criminal activities.

Four hinges on what the person believes.

Before being sentenced, DeLay repeated his longstanding claims that he did nothing wrong, the prosecution was politically motivated and that he never intended to break the law. DeLay was convicted in Travis County, one of the most Democratic counties in Texas, which is one of the most Republican states in the country.

Judge sentences DeLay to 3 years in prison - Politics - More politics - msnbc.com​

 

[theDoctorisIn]

i love how unbiased the media is:

leading figure in George Bush's Republican party, Tom DeLay

hmmm, when rangle or other dems get busted, you don't hear:

leading figure in obama's democratic party

Probably because DeLay was the Majority leader while Bush was President.

But if you need to feel outraged, go ahead.