Arrogance of Power: Tom DeLay

"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Lord John Dalberg-Acton (British historian 1834-1902)


According to the Washington Post Tom “Ratman” DeLay ratted on himself when he met Texas prosecutor Ronnie Earle.

R. Jeffrey Smith in the Post writes:

The last-minute negotiations between the lawyers and Texas prosecutor Ronnie Earle were arranged after DeLay made what Earle considered a seriously damaging admission about his fundraising activities during an Aug. 17 meeting with the prosecutor in Austin.

At that session, DeLay acknowledged that in 2002 he was informed about and expressed his support for transfers of $190,000 in mostly corporate funds from his Texas political action committee to an arm of the Republican National Committee in Washington and then back to Texas, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named.

Sounds like Delay admitted to knowing about the money laundering. According to Texas law it is unlawful for corporations to donate money in election campaigns. So what DeLay admitted is that his PAC, Texans for a Republican Majority aka as TRMPAC, went around the law by hitting up corporations to the tune of $190,000. He then sent the cash to the RNC, who turned around and sent the loot back to local Texas candidates. It sounds like a classic case of money laundering.

The moral of the story is that when you amass such power as DeLay has the last couple of years you begin to think you are invincible. That type of hubris will bring down Delay and the sooner the better.