Like Atrios, I think the local report in Texas offered the best perspective on what transpired this morning.
State District Judge Joe Hart ruled Thursday that Texans for a Republican Majority violated state campaign law when it failed to disclose more than a half-million dollars in corporate contributions during the 2002 state legislative elections.
Hart, however, said the plaintiffs could only collect for damages in their campaigns. He awarded $196,660 to the five Democratic candidates who lost in 2002. Included in that total was an $87,332 award to former state Rep. Ann Kitchen of Austin.
Five Democratic candidates sued Bill Ceverha, treasurer for Texans for a Republican Majority. Hart’s decision is the first judicial determination in the 2 1/2 year controversy about how the political action committee, created by Republican U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, spent corporate money during the 2002 legislative campaign.
The DCCC’s Jesse Lee, who’s been following the developments in the case closer than I have, said this is not necessarily good news for the criminal case against DeLay’s TRMPAC.
Ceverha was the only defendant left in the civil suit because Ellis and Colyandro were under criminal investigation and removed from the defendant list. Ceverha was much, much less involved than either of them.
That’s a good point. Still, bad news for DeLay’s PAC, for now, is more bad news for DeLay.