The Hammer falls

[CallMeJoe]

Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay was convicted today of money laundering charges.

CNN Link

No word in the CNN article on what possible sentence he faces.

 

[werepossum]

Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay was convicted today of money laundering charges.

CNN Link

No word in the CNN article on what possible sentence he faces.

Looks like that $8 million spent on fighting the charges procedurally was not a wise investment. A million bucks worth of cigs would have made prison a lot easier.

Then again, prisons for his type of criminal are probably smoke-free zones.

 

[punjabiplaya]

At the outset of the trial, he predicted the jury would clear him.

haha

 

[bfdd]

no we need to go after every other politician who has been found of doing something illegal. double the penalties for these politicians too, as law makers and leaders they should know better.

 

[werepossum]

haha

Has there ever been anyone who entered a courtroom saying "Oh man, I am SO screwed!"

 

[bamacre]

Has there ever been anyone who entered a courtroom saying "Oh man, I am SO screwed!"

Maybe a few lawyers. :awe:

 

[werepossum]

Maybe a few lawyers. :awe:

LOL Including Delay's lawyers, probably. "Damn, I can't believe we're about to lose an eight million dollar client to the stupid legal system! We are so screwed."

 

[blackangst1]

I hope he gets at least 10 years

 

[Lemon law]

The whole yah horay is that this jury did not buy the defense argument and connected the dots and realized it was a clear case that Delay conspired to illegally convert corporate cash to legal donations through a financial deception.

Given a random cross sections of American juries, just getting that far and getting a jury to convict was probaly at best a 50-50 crap shoot for the prosecution.

And for what its worth, its my understanding that Delay could be sentenced to up to a life in Prison, IMHO Delay richly deserves.

But as an American citizen and an American I have to say two things. (1) In the entire rotten apple barrel of recent American politicans, given my druthers, we all would be better off convicting bigger fish than Delay, people like GWB, Cheney, Rice, and many others who were international war criminals rather than mere nationally corrupt criminals.
(2) While I may, second best, take the revenge is a dish best eaten cold joy in Delay going to the slammer for the rest of his life, there is many an appeal possible slip between cup and lip. The odds of Delay spending a single day in jail is frankly not very good.

But getting rid of Tom Delay for good is priceless. Good riddance to bad rubbish, no more dancing with the stars for you because the jig is up.

 

[CaptnKirk]

It's to bad that this didn't come to trial before the 2010 election cycle.
This trial was deliberatly put off until after the elections to benefit the GOP.

 

[Zebo]

Too bad he didnt commit these "crimes" after Citizens United he wouldn't even be on trial.

 

[Zebo]

The whole yah horay is that this jury did not buy the defense argument and connected the dots and realized it was a clear case that Delay conspired to illegally convert corporate cash to legal donations through a financial deception.

Given a random cross sections of American juries, just getting that far and getting a jury to convict was probaly at best a 50-50 crap shoot for the prosecution.

And for what its worth, its my understanding that Delay could be sentenced to up to a life in Prison, IMHO Delay richly deserves.

But as an American citizen and an American I have to say two things. (1) In the entire rotten apple barrel of recent American politicans, given my druthers, we all would be better off convicting bigger fish than Delay, people like GWB, Cheney, Rice, and many others who were international war criminals rather than mere nationally corrupt criminals.
(2) While I may, second best, take the revenge is a dish best eaten cold joy in Delay going to the slammer for the rest of his life, there is many an appeal possible slip between cup and lip. The odds of Delay spending a single day in jail is frankly not very good.

But getting rid of Tom Delay for good is priceless. Good riddance to bad rubbish, no more dancing with the stars for you because the jig is up.

Life for laundering money? you have no sense of proportion.

 

[werepossum]

Too bad he didnt commit these "crimes" after Citizens United he wouldn't even be on trial.

Actually he would. There are very clear rules about how you may and may not blend PACs and party politics. Democrats do the same thing, but they are careful to observe the niceties. Delay's malfunction was to insist that he had to be the head of both arms. Pointing out that someone else does functionally the same thing is not a good defense against violating the letter of the law, if this case is any indication. Or to be more blunt - you can have your friends give you contributions of other people's money, but you cannot give yourself contributions of other people's money. The difference is worth 8 to 15 years, I'm guessing.

 

[Lemon law]

It's to bad that this didn't come to trial before the 2010 election cycle.
This trial was deliberatly put off until after the elections to benefit the GOP.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personally, CaptnKirk, I don't think that was the case , IMHO its a sad indictment of the American legal system that a well lawyered up defendant can endlessly Delay a trial, but finally a persistent prosecution can run through all the Delays and finally force the defendant to stand trial.

And its my understanding that Tom Delay did exactly that, erecting every appeal of his indictment known to man and a few new creative ones, he outlasted the original prosecutor in Ronny Earle who had already retired, but sadly for Tom, the jig was finally up. And after some five years of end less legal Delays, ole Tom was finally forced into court, and got convicted some one month or so more later by a jury of his peers.

 

[Zebo]

Actually he would. There are very clear rules about how you may and may not blend PACs and party politics. Democrats do the same thing, but they are careful to observe the niceties. Delay's malfunction was to insist that he had to be the head of both arms. Pointing out that someone else does functionally the same thing is not a good defense against violating the letter of the law, if this case is any indication. Or to be more blunt - you can have your friends give you contributions of other people's money, but you cannot give yourself contributions of other people's money. The difference is worth 8 to 15 years, I'm guessing.

Point was corps could ave given directly to whom he gave it to and bypass middle man

 

[CallMeJoe]

Mr. Delay is not ceding an inch:

This is an abuse of power. It's a miscarriage of justice. I still maintain that I am innocent, that the criminalization of politics undermines our very system, and I'm very disappointed in the outcome. But you know, it is what it is, and we will carry on and maybe we can get it before people who understand the law.

On sentencing:

DeLay's sentencing was set for December 20, and he faces a possible maximum prison term of 99 years on the money laundering charge and 20 years on the conspiracy charge.

 

[Brigandier]

On sentencing:

Reuters

DeLay faces five to 99 years in prison for the money laundering conviction and two to 20 years for a conspiracy count as well, plus fines.

People always don't get the maximum, you know?

 

[Double Trouble]

From the sounds of it he deserved to get nailed. Nobody should be above the law. I wish they went after every crooked politician that does stuff with a wink and a nod. I don't care what party they are in, if they're crooks and cheats, lock'em up. That might dissuade future ones from doing the same things.

 

[Zebo]

Ridiculous time either way. Not even a violent crime which you get less for I might add. I think average murderer does like 10. You can beat someone till they have tubes coming out of their face in hospital and do less than 1 year. 99 years? gimme a break. I hope he gets 6 mo.

 

[sportage]

He'll be doing a lot of dancing in prison. He'll be very popular.

 

[shira]

Ridiculous time either way. Not even a violent crime which you get less for I might add. I think average murderer does like 10. You can beat someone till they have tubes coming out of their face in hospital and do less than 1 year. 99 years? gimme a break. I hope he gets 6 mo.

Delay is a crook who exhibits no remorse for his crimes.

I hope they throw away the key.

 

[manimal]

The punishment should fit the crime, make the guy work for a non profit Acorn type office helping poor people...

 

[Zebo]

Delay is a crook who exhibits no remorse for his crimes.

I hope they throw away the key.

I replied there that was nothing too compared to real theivry going on. Like revolving doors and almost zero interest rate loans for politically connected to pay themselves records bonuses on tax payers dime or straight up mortgage fraud and money laundering of drug cartel money (people who actual kill people) by our largest institutions with zero indictments to date as required. Party makes no diff punishment should fit the crime.

 

[hal2kilo]

Where's the consigliere when you need him.

So sad, too bad for the bug exterminator. The true face of the Republican party.

 

[shira]

I replied there that was nothing too compared to real theivry going on. Like revolving doors and almost zero interest rate loans for politically connected to pay themselves records bonuses on tax payers dime or straight up mortgage fraud and money laundering of drug cartel money (people who actual kill people) by our largest institutions with zero indictments to date as required. Party makes no diff punishment should fit the crime.

Sigh. He'll probably get the minimum, serve the 2- and 5-year sentences concurrently, and be out in 20 months.