Free Republic

No one would have guessed that Tom DeLay's next career move would involve dancing, so the announcement that the former House Majority Leader would be a contestant on the upcoming season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" raised the eyebrows of politicos everywhere. The network has now released some promo photos of DeLay with his dancing partner, Cheryl Burke. DeLay appears to enjoying his new role, sporting sweat pants and a shirt from his organization Rio Bend, which works to improve the nation's foster care system. His own slimmer waistline can be attributed to the personal trainer he's been using...

Now that Congress has recessed, and since the conventions aren’t for a couple of weeks, Thursday’s The Situation Room turned back to the "hot" issue of what many liberals are calling on congressional Democrats to do: arrest and lock-up Karl Rove for his failure to testify on the issue of the firing of U.S. attorneys in late 2006. CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, as part of a report on this possible move by the Democrats, conducted a search for the supposed jail inside the U.S. Capitol. He also addressed the little-used power of the legislature to arrest and try government officials...

Ronnie Earle's legacy as Travis County district attorney If Ronnie Earle were a fisherman, he might spend time talking about the ones that got away. Others certainly do. Earle, who officially vacated his post as Travis County district attorney on Thursday, might be remembered most for the failed prosecutions of some of the biggest names in Texas politics. Indeed, his short-term legacy will be influenced heavily by unfinished business. Yet to be resolved are indictments that caused former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay — the no-compromise conservative firebrand — to step down. Then, of course, there are the unresolved Yogurt Shop...

LUFKIN — Mae Smith, the 64-year-old mayor of the teeny Central Texas town of Holland, seized the civic center lectern like a dragon-slayer ascending the throne. In a fiery red pantsuit and a voice that echoed without the help of a malfunctioning microphone, she and her cohorts revealed to a crowd of about 50 souls clad in denim and plaid a little-known weapon against the foe of all in the room: Gov. Rick Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor. The weapon, Smith said, doesn't involve marching on the Texas Capitol, like more than 1,000 did last year, some on tractors and horses. It...

It’s looking like a tough year for toll roads in Texas, and no one could be happier about that than Terri Hall, the San Antonio woman whose group is leading the grassroots fight against the controversial pay-to-drive roads that Gov. Rick Perry and others want to see crisscrossing the state. In September, Hall and her group, Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF), filed suit in the state district court in Austin against the Texas Department of Transportation, alleging that TxDOT has broken the law by using public funds to lobby legislators for laws favoring toll roads. TURF and Hall...

- - Ronnie Earle says Rosemary Lehmberg is best of four assistants running for post. Saying he has a duty after more than 30 years in office to tell the public what he thinks, departing Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle announced Monday that he is endorsing his top deputy, Rosemary Lehmberg, in the race to replace him. The decision came as no surprise to courthouse watchers and the three other Democratic candidates for Earle's job, they said. Assistant District Attorney Gary Cobb, 46, one of those candidates, said it would have been "a slap in the face" if Earle...

After more than three decades as the Travis County District Attorney, Democrat Ronnie Earle's seat is up for grabs. It won't be taken by a Republican since no one from the GOP filed to run in the March primary. The main watchdog position in Texas will stay in the hands of Democrats. "Obviously the issue that sets this particular district attorney position apart from any other in the state of Texas is the presence of the Public Integrity Unit," Travis County Democratic Chairman Chris Elliott said. The district attorney doubles as the primary ethics enforcer for the state government. Republicans...

AUSTIN—Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle on Friday announced he won’t seek re-election next year. The 65-year-old Democrat was at the center of the criminal investigation of Republican former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay quit Congress last year. Earle’s term has one year remaining, and his resignation will bring to an end to his three-decade reign in which he battled some of the biggest names in Texas politics. Earle has been criticized by DeLay and other Republicans, who say some of his prosecutions of elected leaders are politically motivated. "This is a no-brainer for him. He never had...

No, I'm NOT being metaphorical nor am I kidding. If I wasn't having so much fun laughing at Ronnie Earle, I might even wish that it weren't true. Evidently Travis County DA Ronnie Earle - who is once again back in the running for most politically-driven DA in the nation now that Mike Nifong has been disbarred - is involved in this New Age, "re-discover your masculinity" cult called the ManKind Project. That's according to the liberal Houston Press. And boy does this outfit sound scary. Forty men at a time strip down and do tribal dances and beat cooked...

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay finally won one Wednesday in his effort to beat back a campaign-related indictment in Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decided not to reinstate one charge of conspiracy to violate a state election law that had already been thrown out by a lower court judge.

Texas High Court Dismisses Charge Against DeLay, Big Three Ignore It Posted by Matthew Sheffield on June 28, 2007 - 00:37. After immediately jumping on the news that then-House majority leader Tom DeLay was indicted by a Democratic Texas prosecutor, the big three networks refused to mention the Wednesday news that the Texas supreme court has approved the dismissal of one of the charges against him.The charges were originally dismissed by a lower court judge (an event which the big three just barely covered) who ruled that the laws under which the former congressman was indicted did not exist during...

AUSTIN, Texas - The state's highest criminal court on Wednesday refused to reinstate a dropped conspiracy charge against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

“The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals today ruled that I was wrongfully indicted by Ronnie Earle, the Mike Nifong of Texas, on laws that didn’t even exist. The court affirmed the decision to throw out the conspiracy indictments because they were based on laws that weren’t even on the books. What Ronnie Earle accomplished is no rookie error – it’s a political attack using our legal system as the primary weapon. “Ronnie Earle’s politically motivated indictments cost Republicans the leader of their choice, and my family hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. The damage he has done to...

Judge hears new TAB indictment Travis district attorney hopes for different result this time around. By Laylan Copelin AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Thursday, June 07, 2007 Travis County prosecutors urged a judge Wednesday to look at the conduct of the Texas Association of Business in reconsidering whether the group should be tried on charges that it violated election laws during the 2002 campaign. Last year, State District Judge Mike Lynch dismissed a felony indictment accusing the state's largest business group of breaking the law by using $1.7 million in corporate money to send 4 million mailers to voters in two dozen legislative...

THIS IS AN EXCERPT --- ENTIRE STORY HERE. A Father’s Grief -- How Sanctuary Laws are Protecting Criminals And Killing Our Children Page 1 Jenny’s friends and family, in their impact statements, used more than a hundred glowing adjectives to describe the outstanding character of the college co-ed. Perhaps the most poignant image of this family’s loss is one that is seared in her father’s memory: that of the vibrantly alive Jenny, lying next to her mother,their heads on the same pillow, giggling and laughing, sharing mother and daughter intimacies. When Humberto Garcia woke up the morning of January...

Answer: they are cesspools of liberal control, with residents of New Orleans unwilling or unable to help themselves after Katrina, and with students and faculty of both schools so steeped in political correctness and multiculturalism that white students and conservative speakers are harassed and threatened while their administration stands by in embarrassed or willing silence. Could anyone watch 60 Minutes without cringing as the president of Duke University tried to explain why Duke allowed its faculty and students to pummel the Duke lacrosse players?

AUSTIN — Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is suing to keep secret the details about his investigation of indicted former House majority leader Tom DeLay. The Houston Chronicle filed a request under Texas' open records law in March seeking vouchers, hotel and airfare receipts, budget documents, memos and e-mails describing the expenses for the DeLay inquiry and related investigations. DeLay, indicted last year on conspiracy and money laundering charges connected to the financing of 2002 state legislative races, resigned from Congress on June 9. Earle, in his attempt to keep details of his investigation out of public view, appealed...

AUSTIN — Prosecutors in the case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay have asked Texas' highest criminal court to reinstate an indictment accusing the former House majority leader and two associates of conspiring to violate state election laws. The appeal filed with the Court of Criminal Appeals Friday had been expected. It likely postpones a trial for the Sugar Land Republican on a separate money laundering charge. A Travis County grand jury indicted DeLay and political consultants John Colyandro and Jim Ellis last year on money laundering and conspiracy charges. A district judge later threw out the conspiracy indictment and let...

I was sitting at the computer reading about the cruise my daughter and I are taking this weekend, when the phone rings, and a womans voice announces that there is a message for concerned West virginians. She then goes on to say that Shelly Moore Capito is a friend of indicted Tom Delay etc, etc, etc... I hung up about then, but thought, damn, the Dems are getting worried for some reason. I wish Shelly had chosen to take on "Sheets"!

Rep. Tom DeLay says he made the decision to leave Congress after taking a poll in his Texas district which showed he had no better than a 50-50 chance of winning reelection this November. In a long discussion with conservative journalists Tuesday afternoon, DeLay discussed the Republican primary he faced last month, which he won with 62 percent of the vote. While some observers called that an impressive win, given the controversy that surrounds DeLay, the congressman himself said that was when he knew he had a problem. "After the primary — you get a sixth sense about this stuff,"...

Live on Fox news no link

AUSTIN — A state appeals court today threw out more than 30 subpoenas requested by Travis County prosecutors building a criminal case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, saying the investigation should have stopped in December when a district judge halted proceedings in his court. District Attorney Ronnie Earle has been issuing the subpoenas ever since Senior District Judge Pat Priest dismissed all or part of three indictments against DeLay, R-Sugar Land.

DeLay Gets Court to Halt, Void Subpoenas Mar 13, 7:09 PM (ET) By SUZANNE GAMBOA WASHINGTON (AP) - A Texas appeals court Monday granted Rep. Tom DeLay's request to stop a prosecutor from filing subpoenas in the former majority leader's pending money laundering case. The Third Court of Appeals panel in Austin, Texas, also said that several subpoenas issued by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle are null and void because DeLay's trial is on hold. In addition, any outstanding subpoenas issued before the trial was put on hold are suspended during the stay, the court said.

arly voting results in the Fort Bend County Republican primary election show U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay with more than twice the vote of his nearest rival, at more than 59%. Republican challenger Tom Campbell has 28.74% of the vote, followed by Mike Fjetland with 6.93% and Pat Baig with 4.65%. Ron Paul, incumbent congressman in District 14, polled more than 80% of the Fort Bend County early vote, while challenger Cynthia Sinatra got 19.41%. Glenn Hegar took the early-voting lead in the race for Texas Sen. District 18, with 2,292 – or more than 57% – of the vote, while...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Ronnie Earle, awaiting the media-driven frenzy of prosecuting former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, may be involved in another courtroom drama this summer. In 1996, Lacresha Murray was 11 when the Travis County district attorney indicted her on capital murder charges -- the youngest person charged with that crime in Texas. Miss Murray was a suspect in the death of a 2-year-old at her grandmother's day care center in May 1996. The toddler, Jayla Belton, lost consciousness and was rushed to a local hospital, where she died. Investigators found no forensic evidence, but on the basis of...

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Prosecutors investigating former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on felony conspiracy and money laundering charges are seeking bank records for the Texas Republican Party. District Attorney Ronnie Earle issued a subpoena Thursday ordering Frost Bank to produce monthly statements and signature cards from August 2002 to January 2003 for accounts connected to the party or the Texas Republican Congressional Committee. DeLay attorney Dick DeGuerin said the subpoenas are not enforceable because the charges are still under appeal. "There's no setting, no trial, nothing that can be enforced," DeGuerin said. "Whoever gets (the subpoena), they can wad...

This weekend, Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) announced that he would not seek to regain his post as Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. DeLay was forced to step down temporarily from his leadership position because he is currently under indictment by Texas Democrat District Attorney Ronnie Earle. DeLay has not been convicted of anything, but the rules for the Republican Caucus in the House are different from those of the Democrats, and the mere indictment is sufficient for a Republican member to step aside from a leadership role. Unfortunately for DeLay, the Republican Party has once again shown...

AUSTIN, Texas - Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is trying to bully his way through the court system to further his own political ambitions, prosecutors said Tuesday. Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said in court documents that the Republican is "attempting to leapfrog" over the usual court procedures by asking the state's highest criminal court to dismiss all charges against him or to order a trial right away. DeLay was forced to step aside as majority leader after he was indicted on money laundering and conspiracy charges in September. He has been pressing the state's highest criminal court...

RUSH: Folks, this is hilarious. The media is outraged that Bush would dare compromise the outcome of a fair trial by proclaiming in advance of the evidence that Tom DeLay is innocent. Of course, we're supposed to forget that during Monica, that during Paula, that during Kathleen, that during impeachment, every damn Democrat liberal in the world was running around proclaiming Bill Clinton's innocence and how he didn't lie -- and of course that wasn't compromising the outcome of anything. Sometimes, I am telling you, I detest these people. I detest, and that is why I have to get away...

WASHINGTON – A Texas prosecutor has issued subpoenas for bank records of a defense contractor involved in the bribery case of former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham as part of the investigation of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. District Attorney Ronnie Earle issued subpoenas last Thursday for California businessmen Brent Wilkes and Max Gelwix, records of Perfect Wave Technologies, Wilkes Corp. and ADCS Inc. in connection with a contribution to a fundraising committee at the center of the investigation that led to DeLay's indictment on money laundering charges. Perfect Wave contributed $15,000 in September 2002 to Texans for a Republican...

RUSH: "A Texas judge yesterday threw out a campaign finance conspiracy charge against Rep. Tom DeLay, but ruled that the prosecutors' money laundering charge should go forward." (story) Mike, grab audio sound bite -- no humidity in the air down here today so the pages are not coming apart easily. You know, the media all portrayed this as a big lawsuit actually-- (Laughing.) "Ooh, DeLay didn't win anything here, still faces the money laundering charges, oh, this is horrible." "The ruling means Mr. DeLay, Texas Republican, will not be able immediately to regain the House majority leader's post he...

Pity the poor DUmmies. They constantly get their hopes UP only to have them CONSISTENTLY dashed on the cold rocks of reality. Remember the DUmmie jubilation of the DUmmies when it appeared that John Kerry won a LANDSLIDE VICTORY in the exit polls? Gone. Or their antication of Kerry being inaugurated on Jan. 20 due to the overturning of the Ohio election results? Gone. And how the Jeff Gannon case was going to bring the downfall of the entire Bush Regime? Gone. The list goes on and on. The Day When Everything Finally Changed? Forgotten. The NEXT Day When...

A judge dismissed a conspiracy charge Monday against Rep. Tom DeLay but refused to throw out far more serious allegations of money- laundering, dashing the congressman's hopes for now of reclaiming his post as House majority leader. Texas Judge Pat Priest, who is presiding over the case against the Republican, issued the ruling after a hearing late last month in which DeLay's attorney argued that the indictment was fatally flawed. ADVERTISEMENT When he was indicted in September, DeLay was required under House rules to relinquish the leadership post he had held since 2003. While Monday's ruling was a partial victory...

AUSTIN, Texas - A judge dismissed a conspiracy charge Monday against Rep. Tom DeLay but refused to throw out far more serious allegations of money-laundering, dashing the congressman's hopes for now of reclaiming his post as House majority leader. Texas Judge Pat Priest, who is presiding over the case against the Republican, issued the ruling after a hearing late last month in which DeLay's attorney argued that the indictment was fatally flawed. When he was indicted in September, DeLay was required under House rules to relinquish the leadership post he had held since 2003. While Monday's ruling was a partial...

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WASHINGTON — A Texas judge's ruling expected by next week could force Rep. Tom DeLay to stand trial on conspiracy and money laundering charges, as well as decide the future of U.S. House Republican leadership and further shake the GOP hit hard by recent scandal. DeLay has said since the September indictment that required him to step down as House majority leader that he is victim of a political vendetta. He has pushed for a resolution of the case before January, when Congress reconvenes, so he can quickly return to his leadership post. Senior Judge Pat Priest is expected to...

The attorneys for Tom DeLay and Ronnie Earle are battling it out in the courtroom today over a motion to dismiss. I should point out that a motion to dismiss is almost always filed by the defendant but is seldom granted by judges, the theory being that a District Attorney would not file a case without reasonable cause and that the court is the proper venue for determining whether the facts and the law are actually applicable. Personally, I would be very surprised if the motion to dismiss is granted. If it is, then Ronnie Earle should quietly resign his...

AUSTIN - Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has defended himself against accusations of prosecutorial misconduct for going to multiple grand juries to obtain a money-laundering indictment against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay. In court filings this week, Earle said taking the case to three separate grand juries was neither improper nor illegal, and he opposed efforts by DeLay's attorneys to obtain access to information about secret grand jury proceedings. DeLay's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin of Houston, countered late Thursday by issuing subpoenas for several grand jury members to testify at a pretrial hearing Tuesday. There was no immediate response from Earle....

THREE SEPARATE FORCES are attacking Congressman Tom DeLay. Outwardly, these forces seem independent. On closer inspection, however, we find that all three have something in common. All have significant links to leftwing billionaire, Democrat kingmaker and convicted insider trader George Soros. (1) The first of these attackers is Texas prosecutor Ronald Earle, who has indicted DeLay for alleged violations of state campaign finance laws. The second attacker is Republican Senator John McCain, whose Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is probing certain of DeLay's associates for their dealings with Indian casino interests. (2) The third attacker is a network of bogus...

The judicial carousel in U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay's conspiracy case almost spun out of control Thursday as the search for a judge beyond the hint of any political taint reached the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, a Republican, named Pat Priest, a retired Democratic judge from his hometown of San Antonio, to hear the case — but not before Jefferson's own multiple ties to DeLay's political operation were questioned. Jefferson waved off questions about those ties Thursday afternoon as he searched for a judge to hear the biggest political trial in Texas for this...

AUSTIN — A new judge was selected to preside over Rep. Tom DeLay's conspiracy and money laundering trial today, after another judge became the second to step away from involvement in the case because of political contributions he has made. Administrative Judge B.B. Schraub, a Republican who was to have selected the judge for the case, withdrew after Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle filed a request to have him removed. Two days earlier, District Judge Bob Perkins was removed from the case at DeLay's request because of his contributions to Democrats. >>>Schraub asked Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace...

Breaking News: Dear Friends and Supporters -A new judge has recognized there are very real, proven, partisan concerns with Ronnie Earle’s investigation. Because of contributions given to MoveOn.org and the Democrat Party, the initial judge set to preside in this case has been removed. Time and time again, the facts prove that Ronnie Earle is waging nothing more than a political vendetta:- 11/1/05: Earle’s preferred judge removed due to appearance of partisanship - 10/14/05: Earle’s staff admits they lack key evidence but press forward anyway - 9/29/05: Details come out about:1. “The Big Buy” - Ronnie Earle’s feature length...

Earle challenges Republican judge DA wants DeLay judge Schraub out and new judge to name replacement. More to come.

Ronnie Earle, the district attorney from Travis County in Texas, finally has made his strongest case for removing a political operative from office -- himself. Yep, time to go, Ronnie. Mr. Earle's brand of political prosecution makes you want to sing "Goodbye Earl," the Dixie Chicks' tune about abusive men. It's easy to dislike Earle's latest target for judicial mayhem. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay never hides his swagger or his cowboy leadership style. Vocal, tough and unafraid of a fight, DeLay's stick-to-itiveness grates many. But Earle's long-in-the-tooth investigation of Mr. DeLay is not just a grudge of biblical...

AUSTIN — The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party today rejected a subpoena asking him to provide five years of fund-raising materials in connection with the criminal case against former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. ADVERTISEMENT Charles Soechting, the state chairman, said he would attend, as ordered, a court hearing Tuesday to decide whether a Democratic judge should remain on DeLay's case. But, he will not bring the documents requested by DeLay's attorney Bill White unless ordered by the court. White issued the subpoena on Thursday, asking Soechting for mail-outs, brochures, e-mails and other requests seeking Democratic support and...

State Democratic leader rejects document subpoena 10/31/2005 By APRIL CASTRO / Associated Press The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party on Monday rejected a subpoena asking him to provide five years of fund-raising materials in connection with the criminal case against former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Charles Soechting, the state chairman, said he would attend, as ordered, a court hearing Tuesday to decide whether a Democratic judge should remain on DeLay's case. But, he will not bring the documents requested by DeLay's attorney Bill White unless ordered by the court. White issued the subpoena on Thursday, asking Soechting...

Goodbye Earle By Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Sunday, October 30, 2005 Ronnie Earle, the district attorney from Travis County in Texas, finally has made his strongest case for removing a political operative from office -- himself. Yep, time to go, Ronnie. Mr. Earle's brand of political prosecution makes you want to sing "Goodbye Earl," the Dixie Chicks' tune about abusive men. It's easy to dislike Earle's latest target for judicial mayhem. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay never hides his swagger or his cowboy leadership style. Vocal, tough and unafraid of a fight, DeLay's stick-to-itiveness grates many. But Earle's long-in-the-tooth...

Plea entered in corporate campaign case Contractors admit to giving corporate donations to Democratic candidates By Laylan Copelin AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, October 28, 2005 The U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association has pleaded guilty to two counts of giving illegal corporate donations to Democratic candidates during the 2002 election. The association, facing a maximum fine of $20,000 per count, agreed to pay $3,000 for each donation. "Texas law is very clear in prohibiting campaign contributions by corporations and labor unions," Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said. Although the charge is similar to ones levied against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land,...

The U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association has pleaded guilty to two counts of giving illegal corporate donations to Democratic candidates during the 2002 election. The association, facing a maximum fine of $20,000 per count, agreed to pay $3,000 for each donation. "Texas law is very clear in prohibiting campaign contributions by corporations and labor unions," Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said. Although the charge is similar to those levied against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, and the Texas Association of Business, the facts are somewhat different. The contractors were charged with contributing money collected from businesses to political candidates....

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A Texas prosecutor asked Thursday for all e-mail sent and received in 2002 by three indicted associates of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay as part of an investigation into an alleged campaign finance scheme. The latest subpoenas issued by District Attorney Ronnie Earle request correspondence to and from e-mail addresses belonging to John Colyandro, Jim Ellis and Warren RoBold. He did not ask DeLay to provide e-mails. Colyandro was executive director of Texans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee founded by DeLay. Ellis runs DeLay's national fundraising committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, and RoBold...