Texas DA cites new input on DeLay

WASHINGTON – The Texas prosecutor overseeing an investigation of former House majority leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, fired back Tuesday at criticism by DeLay’s lawyers that he brought a new indictment against the powerful legislator on Monday to fix a legal flaw in the first indictment of DeLay last week.

Travis Country District Attorney Ronnie Earle said the new indictment charging DeLay with the criminal felonies of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering was based on new information that “came to the attention of the District Attorney’s Office” last weekend.

The written statement was Earle’s most detailed account of why the money laundering charges leveled against DeLay on Monday by one grand jury were not issued earlier, during the three-month tenure of a different grand jury that on its final day, Sept. 28, issued a lesser charge of conspiracy to violate the Texas election laws.

Dick DeGuerin, one of DeLay’s attorneys, asserted on Monday that the new money laundering charge was brought this week because Earle realized that last week’s conspiracy charge rested on an erroneous interpretation of the law. He said the crime of conspiracy was not covered by the state election law at the time of the alleged violation, in late 2002.

Earle said in the statement that “issues have arisen regarding that (first) indictment that will be argued in court and resolved by a judge.” He also disclosed that Monday’s money laundering charge was initially brought before yet another grand jury without success last week.