I mentioned yesterday that a fundraising scandal before a Texas grand jury may lead to an indictment for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). As Roll Call noted, DeLay has even started quiet discussions with GOP leaders about a plan on how to proceed should he have to give up his leadership post.
The Houston Chronicle, which effectively serves as DeLay’s home-town paper, reported yesterday that DeLay has not only begun discussions on the Hill, but also back home.
U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay apparently is preparing for the possibility that a Travis County grand jury may indict him on charges of violating state campaign finance laws.
DeLay, R-Sugar Land, told a group of Houston supporters earlier this month he may need to raise more money for a legal defense fund.
Leave it to DeLay to find a way to turn a pending felony indictment into another fundraising opportunity.
DeLay and an aide in a March 8 private meeting at the Omni Houston Hotel talked to Houston supporters about the possible need to pay for a legal defense in connection with the grand jury investigation, according to two people who attended the meeting.
The meeting at the Omni was part of a regular event DeLay holds every three months for supporters called the “Congressional Quarterly Luncheon.” The two people interviewed by the Chronicle spoke on condition of anonymity.
Here’s the kicker:
One of those interviewed quoted DeLay as saying, “I fully anticipate being indicted.”
If he is, DeLay will have to step down from his leadership post; he won’t have a choice. Moreover, if DeLay is indicted, it will likely come in the late summer or early fall, as the campaign season hits its final stretch.
I wonder what the impact will be if the high-profile Republican House Majority Leader is under indictment when voters go to the polls?