DeLay, 58, was first elected to the House in 1984 from Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Once the owner of a pest-control company, he emerged as a prominent lawmaker after the so-called Republican revolution in the 1994 elections gave the party control of the House for the first time in 50 years.
He earned the nickname "The Hammer" for keeping his GOP colleagues in line. He was deft at tapping into Washington lobbyists and other sources of political money to help keep Republicans in power. And he was a major force behind President Clinton's impeachment.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday October 06, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 74 words Type of Material: Correction
DeLay indictment -- An article in Thursday's Section A about the indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) described as "illegal" the campaign contributions that Sears, Roebuck & Co. and other companies made to a political action committee formed by DeLay. The article should also have said that charges against Sears were dropped as part of an agreement with a Texas prosecutor, who found "no intent on the part of [Sears] to violate Texas law."
Blunt, a close DeLay ally, had been serving as the House GOP whip, the party's No. 3 post. Blunt will be assisted in his new job by Reps. David Dreier of San Dimas and Eric Cantor of Virginia.
DeLay's legal problems grew out of his efforts to fortify the GOP majority in the House.
His aim was to help elect a Republican majority in both chambers of the Texas state Legislature that would reopen a congressional redistricting plan negotiated between Democrats and Republicans after the 2000 census.
After Republicans captured the Texas House and Senate in 2002, the Legislature redrew the district lines in a manner more favorable to Republicans. That helped the GOP gain five congressional seats from the state in 2004.
The indictment contends that DeLay conspired with two associates, John Colyandro and James Ellis, "to violate the Texas Election Code by contributing corporate money to certain candidates for the Texas Legislature." Texas law bans the use of corporate funds on behalf of state political candidates.
The indictment does not give specific details of the alleged violation. Prosecutor Earle said that those were "issues of evidence that will be presented at trial."
According to the indictment, DeLay and the other two defendants agreed in September 2002 that they or the Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee -- a DeLay fundraising operation known as TRMPAC -- would send corporate contributions to the Republican National Committee. That money was then to be distributed to state legislative candidates in Texas.
The indictment said that TRMPAC accepted $190,000 in contributions from several corporations, including Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Bacardi USA Inc. The money allegedly was funneled to seven GOP candidates in Texas. All seven won their legislative races.
