The DeLay Trial Approaches

Tom DeLay's lawyers were in court today in Texas trying to have the charges of money laundering and general campaign malfeasance against him dropped. Judge Pat Priest set aside one charge of conspiracy but allowed other conspiracy and money-laundering charges to stand. DeLay, of course, has a crack team of lawyers at his disposal, who put their best arguments forward, insisting "that the Texas money laundering law does not apply to funds in the form of a check, just coins or paper money." Using that Texas common sense we've heard so much about, the judge ruled that money is money. There are still a number of hurdles to be cleared before an actual trial starts, but the money-laundering charge itself can carry a penalty of five years to life.

By the way, at the end of last week it was reported that the 2003 Texas Congressional redistricting plan that was the purpose of all this chicanery in the first place was rejected by Justice Department staff lawyers because it weakened minority voting rights protected by the Voting Rights Act. Fortunately for DeLay and the Repub majority in Congress, political appointees overruled the career Justice Department attorneys and approved the plan, allowing the Repubs to pick off Texas Democrats redistricted out of office. We'll have to wait until after the trial to ask DeLay if it was worth it.