Democrat Earle's Persecution of DeLay Continues

DeLay Indicted on Money Laundering Charge
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas grand jury on Monday re-indicted Rep. Tom DeLay (search) on charges of conspiring to launder money and money laundering (search) after the former majority leader attacked last week's indictment on technical grounds.

The new indictment, handed up by a grand jury seated Monday, contained two counts. The money laundering charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison. Last week, DeLay was charged with conspiracy to violate campaign-finance laws.

Defense lawyers asked a judge Monday to throw out the first indictment, arguing that the charge of conspiring to violate campaign finance laws was based on a statute that did not take effect until 2003 — a year after the alleged acts.

The new indictment from District Attorney Ronnie Earle (search), coming just hours after the new grand jurors were sworn in, outraged DeLay.

"Ronnie Earle has stooped to a new low with his brand of prosecutorial abuse," DeLay said in a statement. "He is trying to pull the legal equivalent of a 'do-over' since he knows very well that the charges he brought against me last week are totally manufactured and illegitimate. This is an abomination of justice."

Grand jury number seven? Earle looks more and more desperate, resembling someone more concerned about looking the fool for bringing baseless charges than he is about seeking justice. Having failed with number six, Earle was forced to seat a seventh grand jury just to indict a second time on what is essentially the same charge.

Full Story: Second DeLay Indictment

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