DeLay arrives to face laundering, conspiracy charges

AUSTIN, Texas — Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, surrendered to authorities in Houston yesterday, the last step before his scheduled appearance today in Austin to formally hear the conspiracy and money-laundering charges leveled against him last month.

DeLay, 58, who relinquished his post as U.S. House majority leader after being indicted, was photographed and fingerprinted during the proceedings in Houston before being released on $10,000 bond.

Meanwhile, his lawyers filed motions asking that state District Judge Bob Perkins recuse himself because of close ties to the Democratic Party, including giving campaign contributions to 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry and to the liberal-leaning activist group MoveOn.org.

The lawyers also asked that DeLay's trial be moved out of Austin, a relatively liberal community.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said he would oppose the motion to move the trial and criticized the request that the judge step aside. "The logic behind the defendant's motion to recuse Judge Perkins would mean that no criminal defendant could be tried in a court presided over by a judge who did not belong to the defendant's political party."

DeLay flew to Texas in a private jet and was accompanied by two Capitol Hill police officers.

DeLay and his attorneys have said the charges are ill-founded and politically motivated. DeLay's congressional office in Washington released a statement saying he "looks forward to his inevitable exoneration of these ridiculous charges."

The statement said "this is going to end up as an embarrassing episode for ... national Democrats" and Earle.

The charges could have serious consequences. Violations of the state's money-laundering statute — commonly used against drug smugglers — are punishable by a maximum life prison term and a $10,000 fine.

By surrendering in Houston, DeLay was able to avoid the media camped out in nearby Fort Bend County after being led to believe he would choose to be booked there, close to his home.

The two indictments naming DeLay allege he conspired with aides James Ellis and John Colyandro to inject corporate donations into the 2002 state election, in violation of a long-standing Texas prohibition on the use of corporate funds for election purposes. In particular, they allege that $190,000 collected in Texas, mostly from corporations, was laundered through the national Republican Party in Washington before being returned to selected state candidates.

The aim of the alleged financing scheme was to support a Republican takeover of the Texas House, enabling the new majority to redraw congressional districts to favor the election of more Republicans to Congress. Five more Texas Republicans were elected to Congress in 2004, after the redistricting.

Ellis and Colyandro have denied wrongdoing. At a news conference in Washington yesterday, Ellis said, "The fact that Democrat leaders in Texas and nationally are attempting to use the criminal-justice system to achieve the political victories that they failed to win at the ballot box makes them no better than Third World despots who impose their political will by jailing their opponents."

Ellis, who still runs DeLay's leadership political fund, Americans for a Republican Majority, demurred, however, when asked whether he had supplied Republican officials in Washington with a list of names of Texas candidates who were to receive the $190,000. Ellis said he and Colyandro deny Earle's "version of the story" but said lawyers have advised them not to discuss details of the case.

Material from The Washington Post, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Associated Press is included in this report.