An AP story reports, "After a month-long trial in November, a jury determined that he conspired with two associates to use his Texas-based political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Washington-based Republican National Committee. The RNC then sent the same amount to seven Texas House candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money can't go directly to political campaigns."
My thoughts on the subject are that DeLay broke the law knowingly, was convicted by a jury of his peers fairly, and sentenced justly. I frankly would like to have seen the additional five years of prison been added to DeLay's sentence instead of probation. When our elected officials abuse their office and knowingly break laws, they especially should be punished severely within the confines of the law as examples that they represent us and are not above the law.
I don't care what party affiliation they have; unlawful conduct is inexcusable. It is too bad that other congressional criminals like Charlie Rangel only get a censure under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's House of Representatives and seemingly no other penalties for his egregious tax evasion, and yet actor Wesley Snipes ends up doing jail time for the same charges. It is these double standards and ignoring of criminal behavior by our elected representatives that ruins America's faith in congress and brings about such a lowly state of respect upon them accordingly.
It is refreshing to see that in this rare instance, one former powerful congressman was not exempt from the law. If only it was always so!
H/T: Randy
