A grand jury indicted former House majority leader Tom DeLay for the second time Thursday, charging him with conspiracy to launder money and money laundering. The prominent Republican Party leader allegedly started an organization, Texans for a Republican Majority, that supposedly accepted illegal campaign contributions made by huge corporations like Sears.
The corporations donated money to the organization and this money was thendivided among Republican candidates for Texas legislative seats, officials said. A check for $190,000 was sent to the organization, along with a list of seven Republican legislative candidates that the money was to be given to, district attorney Ronnie Earle said.
Federal law limits the amount of money that can be contributed by individuals. The law also states that corporations are not allowed to make donations to any campaign.
“When it comes to elections, we have to keep the playing field as level as possible,” Michael R. Clifford, professor of philosophy and religion, said.
Clifford, who teaches business ethics, said huge contributions violate this ethic.
“We often limit the amount of money that individuals can donate to a party candidate,” Clifford said.
The law says corporations cannot make donations to any campaign. Money wins elections, he said, and to allow corporations to donate large sums makes the proceedings uneven.
According to Clifford, DeLay, if found guilty, violated primary and secondary ethics. “He circumvented the normal process by which candidates were elected,” he said.
He is in direct violation of the law, Clifford said.
DeLay, however, said he is innocent and insists that what he did was not against the law. “This is a frivolous indictment. I am indicted just for the reason to make me step aside as majority leader,” DeLay said on Fox News. “Both Democrats and Republicans do it almost every day during the election season.”
Rep. Roy Blunt took over as U.S. House majority leader when the grand jury indictment forced DeLay to resign. However, Blunt is optimistic about the influential Republican’s trial.
“We all believe that he’ll return, once this indictment is out of the way, to be the leader again,” he said.
Blunt, like many other Republicans, professes DeLay’s innocence. “I’m confident that a full examination of the facts in this case will clear Tom’s name,” Blunt said.
DeLay said his lawyers explained to him that Earle manipulated or manufactured an indictment based upon a Texas statute that does not apply to him and feels that this trial will end quickly with a result in his favor.
In the meantime, DeLay will continue his partnership with the Speaker of the House.
“I will advise the speaker, and I will work on the agenda. We have a very ambitious agenda that we need to get through in the next eight months,” DeLay said.
Clifford, however, feels that an innocent verdict for DeLay will set back advancements in business ethics.
“If he were to be found innocent, I fear it would send the message that it’s ok for corporations to get involved in politics,” Clifford said.
It would also send the message that it is ok to manipulate the process for self-serving reasons, rather than to serve the public, Clifford said.