And DeLay facts

How baseless are those charges now, Tom?

Earle has himself a heck of a case.

Former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) met for at least 30 minutes with the top fundraiser of his Texas political action committee on Oct. 2, 2002, the same day that the Republican National Committee in Washington set in motion a series of financial transactions at the heart of the money-laundering and conspiracy case against DeLay.
During the meeting at his Capitol office, DeLay conferred with James W. Ellis, the head of his principal fundraising committee in Washington and his chief fundraiser in Texas. Ellis had earlier given the Republican National Committee a check for $190,000 drawn mostly from corporate contributions. The same day as the meeting, the RNC ordered $190,000 worth of checks sent to seven Republican legislative candidates in Texas.

Jesus, they didn't even bother to try to hide it well. This kind of hubris is mind-boggling. To be clear -- Texas law prohibits donations from corporations. So DeLay and company sent the corporate cash to the RNC, which then cut a check for those candidates in Texas. The texbook definition of money laundering.

And DeLay is going to talk about "baseless" accusations, and an out-of-control prosecutor? While Earle still has to prove that DeLay had a role in the transaction, his heavy involvement in TRMPAC affairs, as shown by these memos,

will obviously be part of the evidence. If DeLay is obsessing over the guest list at the PACs events, and taking possession of corporate contributions (as shown in the memos), it's not a stretch that he'd have a role in a $190,000 transaction going through the national Republican Party in DC. Especially since he just happened to meet with his PAC's top money guy that very same day.

Earle may still have a tough case to prove, but talk about a "weak case" and "baseless" and "witch hunt" and the other stuff is now clearly bunk. Money laundering clearly took place. People will likely go to jail. The case against DeLay is legit. Enough to send him to jail? We'll see. "Beyond a reasonable doubt" is a high standard to meet, and DeLay will have the best lawyers money can buy to suggest all manners of "doubt" to the jurors. But the case is definitely legit.

(Daily Kos)