Latest Tom DeLay Stories

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas said on Thursday he would formally resign his seat in Congress effective June 9, clearing the way for another Republican to take his spot on the November election ballot. DeLay, the former Republican House leader and once one of the most powerful politicians in Washington, announced last month he would step down from Congress after becoming embroiled in the scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff. "I have recently made the decision to...

By James Vicini and Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former top aide to Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney pleaded guilty on Monday and agreed to cooperate in an expanding political corruption investigation centered on disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Ney's former chief of staff, Neil Volz, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and to violating a one-year ban on lobbying after leaving Ney's office in 2002 and joining Abramoff's lobbying firm. "Guilty, your honor,"...

By James Vicini WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former top aide to Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney is expected to plead guilty on Monday in connection with corruption investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a source familiar with the case said. The source said Ney's former chief of staff, Neil Volz, is expected to plead guilty at a federal court hearing to conspiracy to commit fraud and to violating the one-year ban on lobbying after leaving congressional employment. Ney has been one of the...

By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rattled by corruption scandals, the House of Representatives narrowly passed a package of ethics reforms on Wednesday that Democrats decried as a "sham, which would do little to clean up Congress. The House voted 217 to 213, largely along party lines, to require greater disclosure of political lobbying activities and highlight special-interest "earmarks" hidden in some large spending bills. Only eight Democrats voted for the bill, while 20...

By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional watchdogs blasted an ethics reform bill pending in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as a "scam" that would do little to curb the influence of money in politics. "This legislation is so weak it's embarrassing," said Chellie Pingree, president of Common Cause, a group promoting accountability in government. House Republican leaders hope to pass a bill this week that requires more disclosure of lobbyist activity and temporarily...

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court's decision to throw out a conspiracy charge against former U.S. House of Representatives Republican leader Tom DeLay. The Texas Third Court of Appeals said a lower court was correct when it quashed an indictment charging DeLay with conspiracy to violate state election law by allegedly funneling corporate money to Republican candidates for the state Legislature in 2002. The court said the statute making...

By Jeff Franks SUGAR LAND, Texas (Reuters) - A special election to replace U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay will be held in November -- on the same day as the regular election -- unless DeLay resigns this week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said on Thursday. The scandal-plagued DeLay, former House majority leader, said this week he was quitting Congress, but would not leave until June because of unfinished legislative business. Perry told reporters in Austin that if DeLay does not notify him by Friday that...

By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, the House of Representatives' fallen majority leader, withdrew on Tuesday from a re-election race he was in danger of losing due to scandals and said he would quit Congress by mid-June. "It's time for me to go do something else," DeLay, who again denied any wrongdoing, told Fox News in a round of interviews a day after he privately advised President George W. Bush and House Republican leaders of his decision....

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rep. Tom DeLay's fall from power amid a widening scandal robs Democrats of "Exhibit A" in their allegations of Republican corruption, but analysts said on Tuesday it was unlikely to put the issue behind Republicans before November's elections. With control of Congress at stake in November, DeLay said he was dropping his bid for re-election so the party would have a better shot at keeping the Texan's Republican-leaning...

By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, the House of Representatives' fallen majority leader, is calling it quits in face of mounting legal problems and a tough re-election campaign that may have been unwinnable. Twelve years after helping Republicans capture control of the House, DeLay, nicknamed "The Hammer" for his hardball political tactics, is ending his bid for a 12th term and will leave Congress as early as next month, party aides said. While...