Congressional Delay? Lawmakers Respond to Indictment of Top Dog

The Republican head of the House of Representatives, Congressman Tom DeLay of Texas, had to step down as majority leader following indictments of money laundering in Texas.

The indictment adds to a cluster of problems for the GOP, including criticism of President Bush’s handling of the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina as well as the Justice Department’s investigation of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who may have been involved in an illegal stock sale.

Spin cycle

The Democrats have jumped on the news; Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California held a press conference in which they disparaged the "culture of corruption" that they say Republicans have created in Congress.

Republicans have responded by calling Democrats "opportunists," and insist that the charges against DeLay are the result of a political conspiracy to damage the GOP before the 2006 elections.

But what’s the story behind the spin?

Details on indictment

DeLay is the highest-ranking congressional leader in American history to be indicted. And Republican Party conference rules require that "[a] member of leadership shall step aside if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed."

Despite this punishment, DeLay has been merely indicted of -- not found guilty of -- laundering corporate money so that it could be contributed to Republican candidates for the Texas state legislature. In Texas, it is illegal to use corporate campaign contributions for state offices.

Ronnie Earle, the Travis County District Attorney, claims that DeLay and associates John Colyandro and James Ellis funneled at least $155,000 in corporate contributions through the Texas Republicans or a Majority Political Action Committee to the Republican National Committee, which converted the sum into individual donations for Texas Republican candidates.

DeLay denies any wrongdoing, and many Republicans say they are sure he will be cleared of all charges.

If he is found guilty, he could face up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. If he is cleared, the indictment may tarnish his reputation and affect his 2006 re-election bid in Texas’ 22nd district.

Redistricting

DeLay spearheaded a successful campaign to redraw the Texas congressional district map that resulted in five new seats for Republicans. For more on this, click here.

Few realize that the new map hurt DeLay’s own re-election -- in 2004 he only narrowly defeated Richard Morrison, a little-known Democrat. DeLay’s run also was damaged when he was rebuked by the House Ethics Committee for bribery. For more on this, click here.

The latest indictment promises a tight 2006 race for the senior Congressman.

Effect on Congress

With Hurricane Katrina legislation as a top priority, Congress is struggling to complete its typical to-do list of appropriations bills and other housekeeping matters. Analysts don’t expect Congress to achieve much else this fall, especially now that DeLay has stepped down.

DeLay is known for creating a strong Republican consensus in Congress, and some say that his departure will disrupt the Republican congressional agenda. Others disagree, claiming that no congressperson is irreplaceable. However, he has already achieved his goals for the Republican party by redistricting Texas, providing financial support to many congresspeople in their campaigns, and making sure that Republicans in the House of Representatives vote to support the Bush administration’s agenda.

In fact, DeLay has been replaced by Roy Blunt of Missouri. There was some mention of installing Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier of California instead, but Republicans decided that Blunt was more in line with the Republican agenda. For example, Dreier is open to stem-cell research and less interested in cutting social programs to curtail spending. Perhaps for this reason, Democrats were hoping Dreier would be promoted instead.

That this indictment happened after the national election in November 2004 is a reminder of the importance of winning.

What do you think?

In response to the DeLay indictment, Minority Leader Harry Reid claimed that the alleged wrongdoing "really calls into question the Republican agenda." Do you agree? Do the improprieties (whether real or invented) of a party leader implicate the entire party? How important is the enforcement of campaign finance laws? How do you judge the Democrats’ reaction?

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Update Posted on: 10/2/2005