Category Archives: Scandalized!

DeLay sentencing delayed

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We won’t know the fate of convicted felon Tom DeLay (I do so love saying that) until after the new year. The sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 20 but DeLay’s lawyers have a conflict on that date. “It’s probably going … Continue reading →

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Travis County DA to investigate Double Dip Driver

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Republican wave helped him survive re-election this year, but State Rep. Joe Driver’s troubles aren’t over just yet. Assistant District Attorney Gregg Cox, head of the public integrity unit, which oversees official corruption cases, said Tuesday that prosecutors had … Continue reading →

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Off to the appeals courts for DeLay

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever sentence awaits Tom DeLay – I strongly suspect it will be probation, but you never know – it will be a long time, if ever, before he begins serving it. DeLay’s lead attorney, Dick DeGuerin, expressed confidence on Friday … Continue reading →

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DeLay convicted

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Just in time for the holiday. Tom DeLay, the former U.S. House majority leader whose name became synonymous with the Republicans’ controversial rise to power in the Texas House, was found guilty today of laundering money in connection with the … Continue reading →

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Still no verdict in the DeLay trial

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Two days of deliberation, lots of questions being asked, but still no decision from the DeLay jury. They’ll try again today, and I’ll be a little surprised if they strike out again. Having said that, a hung jury is certainly … Continue reading →

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DeLay jury deliberating

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

No verdict yet, and the jury has been sent home for the night. Prosecutors and the defense made closing statements to the jury about whether a $190,000 corporate money swap between DeLay’s Texas committee and the Republican National Committee actually … Continue reading →

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DeLay trial: Defense rests, summaries to begin

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Thursday was a wrap, at least as far as evidence and testimony go in the Tom DeLay trial. This much both sides seemed to agree on: DeLay’s chief political aide, Jim Ellis, negotiated a deal with the Republican National Committee … Continue reading →

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DeLay trial: The prosecution rests

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The prosecution has rested its case in the money laundering trial of Tom DeLay. Visiting Judge Pat Priest today denied former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s motions for a directed verdict of innocent in the political money laundering trial against … Continue reading →

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How long is this thing gonna take?

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We may have the Tom DeLay trial to entertain us into December. [Monday] prosecutors announced that they might be done by next Tuesday. That would give the defense only a couple of days if they want to make final arguments … Continue reading →

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DeLay trial update

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The state keeps presenting its case. A former Republican National Committee official testified Thursday that he was told Tom DeLay wanted the RNC to swap corporate money for campaign donations to Texas candidates during the 2002 election campaign. Terry Nelson, … Continue reading →

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Opening arguments at the DeLay trial

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a little weird that the Tom DeLay trial could be something other than the top news story, isn’t it? The political money laundering trial of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay opened Monday with the Sugar Land Republican … Continue reading →

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DeLay trial gets underway

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

And the entertainment value is high already. A last-minute dispute erupted after DeLay’s defense attorneys struck five potential black jurors, leaving the panel with no African-Americans. Prosecutors objected. DeLay lawyer Dick DeGuerin cited reasons for striking the jurors. He said … Continue reading →

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Former Rep. Kino Flores convicted

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Former State Rep. Kino Flores, who was indicted last year on multiple counts of tampering with a governmental record, was convicted today on eleven of those counts. Flores, a 14-year state representative, was convicted of five counts of misdemeanor tampering … Continue reading →

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For those who are just tuning in to the whole Tom DeLay saga

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman has a useful overview of How We Got Here in the DeLay money laundering case, which goes to trial today. I love the fact that it all began with a little hubris. It was November 2002, just days … Continue reading →

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The DeLay trial finally gears up

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

OMG, I’m almost as excited about this as I am about the World Series. Lawyers in the Tom DeLay conspiracy trial have subpoenaed a who’s who of witnesses, from associates of disgraced Washington, D.C., lobbyist Jack Abramoff to former Texas … Continue reading →

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DeLay “headed to trial”

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

After day one of the pretrial hearings, Tom DeLay will get his trial, and he’ll go before his co-defendants. Motions to dismiss the charges against the former Sugar Land-area representative on the grounds of misconduct by prosecutors remained pending late … Continue reading →

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At long last, the DeLay trial gets underway

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

You know what today is? It’s Tom DeLay Sees The Inside Of A Courtroom Day, that’s what day it is. Yes, I know, he’s out of trouble with the feds – this is about the state charges that have been … Continue reading →

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Feds clear DeLay

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be honest, I’d forgotten there was an ongoing federal investigation of him by this point. It had been so long since I’d seen any news about it. Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, today said he … Continue reading →

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CCA overturns “checks aren’t cash” appeals verdict

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

For once, their pro-prosecution proclivities were good for something. The Austin appeals court erred in deciding that the state’s money-laundering statute – used to prosecute associates of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay – did not apply to transfers … Continue reading →

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Hodge pleads guilty, will resign

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Well, at least this got resolved before the primary. State Rep. Terri Hodge, D-Dallas, pleaded guilty early this morning to lying on her tax returns in connection with the FBI’s Dallas City Hall public corruption investigation, an act that ends … Continue reading →

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Keep talking, Tom

Posted on September 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll leave the commentary on Tom DeLay’s dancing prowess to the experts and simply note that he has succeeded in getting himself back in the news. Which means people are asking him for his opinions on things, which in turn … Continue reading →

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Tom DeLay to dance with the stars

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m speechless. The news this morning that former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will be a contestant on the upcoming season of “Dancing With the Stars” triggered a mixture of chortling and bemusement as it whipped through cyberspace. “Also: Denny Hastert … Continue reading →

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Rep. Kino Flores indicted

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Breaking news. State Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, was indicted by a Travis County grand jury for failing to disclose sources of income, gifts and other information that state officials are required to detail in personal financial statements, Travis County District … Continue reading →

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Miles found not guilty

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Former State Rep. Borris Miles, who was indicted on two charges of deadly conduct in April, was acquitted today of all charges. In closing arguments earlier this afternoon, Rusty Hardin, Miles’ attorney, said leading members of Houston’s African-American business community … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Third Court absolves itself again

Posted on January 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I imagine that if the Austin-based Third Court of Appeals had a Christmas party this year, it was an awkward affair. The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, split along partisan lines, has ruled that Republican Justice Alan Waldrop did … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Christine DeLay gets subpoenaed

Posted on December 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

ACR has the scoop. It’s kind of amazing to me that after all this time, there’s still a lot of unfinished business surrounding the now-defunct DeLay empire. At what point will we get resolution, and DeLay get what’s coming to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Rep. Green requests lawsuit dismissal

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Al Green has settled a nasty-looking dispute with a former employee. U.S. Rep. Al Green has withdrawn a lawsuit he filed in September asking a federal judge to find that he never discriminated against an ex-employee. Green’s attorney, Ben … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Kino factor

Posted on November 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Last week it was reported that Craddick D Rep. Kino Flores of Palmview was being investigated by both the state of Texas and the feds. The investigation initially involved whether Flores illegally accepted a gift when he traveled at least … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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TAB cops a plea

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this puts an end to one aspect of the whole Tom DeLay saga. The state’s largest business organization pleaded guilty today to violating campaign finance law six years after helping elect a slate of Republican lawmakers. The Texas Association … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Rep. Green’s mess

Posted on September 28, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This just sounds ugly. U.S. Rep. Al Green asked a federal judge Friday to find that he never discriminated against an ex-employee he claims is trying to shake him down for $1.8 million. The employee’s lawyer countered that Green forced … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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TPJ files complaint against “checks aren’t cash” judge

Posted on September 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Last month, the Third Court of Appeals ruled against an appeal by John Colyandro and Jim Ellis that would have negated their money laundering indictments in the TRMPAC/Tom DeLay case. In doing so, the court provided validation for the defendants’ … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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TAB trial set

Posted on September 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I confess, I lose track of these things. State District Judge Mike Lynch on Wednesday tentatively ordered a trial for the Texas Association of Business on charges that it made illegal corporate contributions to its own political action committee. In … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Abramoff sentenced

Posted on September 4, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Jack Abramoff, the epicenter of Republican scandals from the Tom DeLay era, got his sentence today. Jack Abramoff, the disgraced former lobbyist who orchestrated a wide-ranging scheme to corrupt several members of Congress, was sentenced to four years in prison … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Only Republican judges think checks aren’t cash

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Seems that the recent appeals court ruling that may have given viability to the infamous “checks aren’t cash” defense was a partisan decision. In a dissent unusual for its critical tone, Justice Diane Henson, a Democrat, wrote that three Republican … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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