DeLay Indictment May Be Overshadowed by Looming Abramoff Probe

[DoYouEverWonder]

Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Representative Tom DeLay, the highest-ranking U.S. House leader ever to face criminal charges, called his indictment yesterday ``one of the weakest, most baseless'' in American history. Even if he's right, bigger legal battles may lie ahead.

The larger legal challenge for DeLay may center on a task force led by the U.S. Justice Department that's investigating Jack Abramoff, the indicted lobbyist who boasted of his relationship with DeLay.

Even as DeLay faces the charge in Texas state court in connection with corporate donations that allegedly were used to help fund the Republican takeover of the state legislature in 2002, ``he is inevitably also going to be under investigation by federal prosecutors'' in the Abramoff matter, said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Washington watchdog group that has criticized DeLay.

Delay, 58, who stepped down temporarily as House majority leader after being indicted, once called Abramoff ``one of my closest and dearest friends.'' He has traveled to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, an Abramoff client, on trips organized by Abramoff's law firm and has blocked efforts to apply U.S. minimum wage and labor laws to the commonwealth.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=auNbMNxcIE1U&refer=home


So who will Tommy blame if the Feds indict him too?

[buff2]

1. Clinton

It's ALWAYS Clinton's fault. :eyes:

[msanthrope]

7. Fear the Clenis--It is a Powerful thing!!! n/t

[SpiralHawk]

2. ...which may be overshadowed by Fitzgerald Grand Jury

and indictments of BushCo's "upper echelon"

[skooooo]

4. Is that the Valerie Plame case?

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. Yes

n/t

[liberal N proud]

3. This could be so much fun to watch

Watch them all squirm and squeal.

Squeal like a pig Tommmy!

[0007]

5. I hope Cliff Baxter's murder is brought to light with these

two scumbags.

[seafan]

8. This will be the larger story, IMHO.

--snip

The larger legal challenge for DeLay may center on a task force led by the U.S. Justice Department that's investigating Jack Abramoff, the indicted lobbyist who boasted of his relationship with DeLay.

--snip

Delay, 58, who stepped down temporarily as House majority leader after being indicted, once called Abramoff ``one of my closest and dearest friends.'' He has traveled to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, an Abramoff client, on trips organized by Abramoff's law firm and has blocked efforts to apply U.S. minimum wage and labor laws to the commonwealth.




IMHO, this facet of DeLay wrongdoing will FAR outweigh his troubles in Texas...

In a nutshell, Tom DeLay's dealings with the business owners in the Northern Marianas Islands clearly show that he took money from these foreign business owners in return for his position in Congress to influence legislation that would allow these business owners to avoid labor standards for their impoverished women employees.

Tom DeLay sold his powerful influence in Congress to FOREIGNERS.

Treason.

[yellowcanine]

9. "Looming Abramoff Probe" Heh. Is this a phallic reference? Those naughty

headline writers have struck again!

[MissMarple]

10. Hot tub Tommy is toast.

Indictments, investigations, stepping down as majority leader, the all too obvious trail of slime that follows where ever he steps, Sugarland turning (gasp!) progressive...put a fork in him. Perhaps we should send him a fresh batch of martinis. This could be quite interesting to watch.

:popcorn: