Austin, Texas
An Austin judge dismissed a conspiracy charge against Rep. Tom DeLay, but ordered the embattled Republican to stand trial on more serious money-laundering allegations. Prosecutor Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, says DeLay and two others conspired in 2002 to funnel $190,000 in corporate donations through Republican political action committees to GOP candidates running for the Texas House, a violation of state election and money-laundering laws. DeLay’s office released a statement saying that the dismissal of one charge—that DeLay conspired to break election laws—showed that the case was “baseless and politically motivated.” But the split decision killed DeLay’s hopes of quickly regaining his position as House majority leader.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why are micro-resolutions more likely to stick?In the Spotlight These smaller, achievable goals could be the key to building lasting habits
-
What will happen in 2026? Predictions and eventsIn Depth The new year could bring peace in Ukraine or war in Venezuela, as Donald Trump prepares to host a highly politicised World Cup and Nasa returns to the Moon
-
Why is Trump’s alleged strike on Venezuela shrouded in so much secrecy?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Trump’s comments have raised more questions than answers about what his administration is doing in the Southern Hemisphere
