Reply #9: Hmmmm, DeLay met with Earle on August 17

[Walt Starr]

That would have been AFTER the statute of limitations had already run out on the conspiracy charge.

I'm now POSITIVE DeLay has a plea bargain:

Press Coverage

DeLay Seeks Closure on Texas Case
By John Bresnahan, Roll Call

September 13, 2005

The recently disclosed meeting between House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and a prosecutor investigating allegations of state campaign finance violations is a strong signal that DeLay is trying to put a longstanding Texas investigation behind him as he prepares for a potential probe by the House ethics committee. DeLay and his lawyers met with Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle and his aides for about 90 minutes on Aug. 17 in the Public Integrity unit of the Travis County DA’s office. Sources close to both men described the meeting as cordial and said DeLay was treated more like a witness than a potential target of the probe.

Accompanying DeLay to the meeting were his Austin criminal-defense lawyers, Bill White and Steve Brittan, as well Toby Vick of McGuireWoods (one of DeLay’s Washington, D.C., law firms) and Elliot Berke, general counsel in the Majority Leader’s office. Earle was joined by Greg Cox, director of the Public Integrity unit, and another official.

Earle has been leading a two-and-half-year investigation into the use of corporate funds in the 2002 Texas legislative races. Earle obtained indictments against three DeLay political allies last September for allegedly violating Texas’ ban on the use of corporate campaign donations in state legislative races. Since then, there has been widespread speculation that DeLay also could find himself going in front of a grand jury at some point.


http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/pressclip.php?vi...