Delay's PAC (TRIMPAC) indicted by grand jury

[TayTay]

Grand Jury Indicts PAC Connected to DeLay 19 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050908/ap_on_go_co/election_investigation

AUSTIN, Texas - A grand jury has indicted a political action committee formed by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and a Texas business group in connection with 2002 legislative campaign contributions.

The five felony indictments against the two groups were made public Thursday. Neither DeLay nor any individuals with the business group has been charged with any wrongdoing.

The charge against Texans for a Republican Majority alleged the committee illegally accepted a political contribution of $100,000 from the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care.

Four indictments against the Texas Association of Business include charges of unlawful political advertising, unlawful contributions to a political committee and unlawful expenditures such as those to a graphics company and political candidates.

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Woo hooooo! (kick)

[Sweet Freedom]

2. So, do you know...

what does that mean for DeLay? The story says he wasn't charged with anything. Does anyone know if he can still be charged, or was this it?

[napi21]

3. So who is actually facing the charges?

Wouldn't it be the leaders of TRIMPAK?

[Kber]

4. Neither DeLay nor any individuals with the business group has been charged

so I guess the PAC did those bad things all by itself with no human intervention?

[TayTay]

9. There was a civil trial on this already

You can read about this (and the whole TRIMPAC episode) at the Texas Observer. See this link: http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=1911

It is my understanding (and I could be wrong) that Delay was not indicted for jurisdictional reasons. But TRIMPAC was Delay's creation, he created it and owned it. And he is very damaged by it going down. Not mention the fact that TRIMPAC is unable to continue on it's mission of fully funding the removal of all Dems from the state of Texas.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

5. Yyyyyeeeeesssssss!

:woohoo:

[myrna minx]

6. Whoohoo. I wonder , though, how this will affect DeLay?

At least this is something that he will have to worry about. That gives me a strange sense of comfort. He's a bit tied up with the cya so he is not as free do reek so much "pro-active" destruction. :bounce:

[aquart]

7. Can a PAC go to jail? If so, how?

[tanyev]

8. How can you indict a group but not any of the individuals

responsible for making the decisions? Who goes to jail?

[mongo]

14. No one goes to jail

But fines can be levied. In cases like this, it may have been a deal to get the corporation to plead guilty.

Even if there is abosolute proof that crimes were committed, it may be difficult to get any convictions against the principals involved if they all shift blame to someone else.

I think if they do get a conviction, any of the members of the PAC can sue the principals for fiscal impropriety.

[tanyev]

15. Is it still a criminal case? Fines and a lawsuit sound like a civil

matter, but the use of the word indict (I thought) was for criminal cases.

[mongo]

16. Yes, it's still a criminal case

corporations have a certain sense of "personhood" under the law.

[whometense]

10. Excellent news!!!

I'm putting champagne on ice for the day we get to celebrate DeLay's personal indictment.

[rateyes]

11. Perhaps it's like suing a corporation...

You can sue the "company" but not the CEO of the company...all fines paid by the corporation, none by the individual. But, it would seem to me that, since DeLay formed it, he certainly knew what was going on, and as a member of the House, should have stopped it...Dems should immediately be calling for his resignation, or at least put pressure on him to resign his post as majority leader.

[Wordie]

17. Yes...the Ethics Committee should look into it.

Although...wasn't there some revising of the rules so that a congressperson could be under indictment, but not suffer any possible investigation or censure (or worse) by the Ethics Committee? I seem to remember hearing that they passed a special law, just for Delay (they must know he is guilty).

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Something happening

:)

[ElectroPrincess]

13. Yes, please get that nasty man off of my TV ...

I saw his ugly mug this morning. He is a horrid and evil man. :puke:

[paineinthearse]

18. The house of cards begins to fall nt