DeLay to resign, quit campaign

WASHINGTON – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texan touched by a lobbying scandal that ensnared some of his former top aides and cost the Republican his leadership post, won’t seek re-election to Congress, officials said Monday.

They said DeLay also is likely to resign his seat and leave Congress by the end of May or mid-June. That would trigger a special election for his replacement.

DeLay was expected to disclose his plans today in Houston, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the congressman had not made that announcement.

Several officials said DeLay, an 11-term congressman, called Texas members of Congress to tell them he is dropping out of his re-election race.

“He’ll resign,” a former senior DeLay aide said.

In an interview with the Galveston County Daily News in Texas, DeLay said his decision was based partly on troubling internal polling results, including a poll taken after the March Republican primary that showed DeLay beating Democrat Nick Lampson in a close race.

“Even though I thought I could win, it was a little too risky,” DeLay said.

DeLay stepped down from his House majority leader post in January as an election-year corruption scandal staggered Republicans and emboldened Democrats looking to reclaim power in the House and Senate.

A former exterminator before his election to Congress in 1984, DeLay was indicted by a Texas grand jury on charges related to laundering campaign funds in a Republican bid to win control of the Texas legislature in 2002.

He is accused of funneling corporate donations to Republican candidates for the Texas House in violation of state laws. A federal investigation also is pursuing DeLay’s ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

DeLay has denied any wrongdoing in both cases.

On Friday, DeLay’s former chief of staff pleaded guilty to conspiracy. The plea agreement makes no allegation that DeLay did anything wrong.