ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nov. 4, 2010, 11:30PM

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7280337.html

Jurors shown e-mail indicating corporate funds were the priority

AUSTIN — Prosecutors in Tom DeLay's money laundering trial implied to jurors on Thursday that the former House majority leader's political action committee became desperate for donations and focused its efforts on getting corporate dollars, some of which authorities say ended up illegally going to Texas candidates.

DeLay, charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, is being accused of using his PAC to illegally funnel $190,000 in corporate donations into Texas legislative races eight years ago. DeLay, who faces up to life in prison if convicted, has denied any wrongdoing.

While questioning Warren Robold, the PAC's fundraiser, prosecutors showed jurors a series of e-mails that indicated that in the weeks leading up to the 2002 elections in Texas, the political group was having great difficulty raising money from individual donors, the only type of funds that could be given to candidates under Texas law.

In an Aug. 6, 2002 e-mail, John Colyandro, who was the PAC's executive director, wrote to Robold that, "It has become critical now that we bring dollars now."

Other e-mails and documents seemed to show the PAC was focusing more on corporate donations.

"Any news? I need the dollars desperately. Sorry to sound so needy," Colyandro wrote to Robold in a Sept. 16, 2002, e-mail, referencing corporate donations. Robold's job was getting corporate dollars.

"Was there a goal on you to bring more money, more money?" prosecutor Beverly Mathews asked Robold.

"Yes, that was a common theme," Robold responded.

Mathews showed jurors a copy of an announcement for a PAC fundraiser that was held on Aug. 19, 2002, in Houston, with DeLay as the "special guest."

"Your support today will go directly to help Republican candidates in Texas successfully run and win their campaigns," the announcement said.

Mathews told jurors the announcement also stated that corporate checks would be accepted at the event.

Prosecutors allege DeLay and two associates - Colyandro and Jim Ellis - illegally channeled the $190,000 in corporate money collected by DeLay's Texas PAC, through the Washington-based Republican National Committee. Under Texas law, corporate money cannot be directly used for political campaigns.

The money helped Republicans take control of the Texas House in 2002, prosecutors said. That majority allowed the GOP to push through a redistricting plan engineered by DeLay that sent more Texas Republicans to Congress in 2004.

Robold had been indicted on charges of accepting illegal corporate contributions in connection with the alleged scheme.

When questioned by DeLay's lead attorney, Dick DeGuerin, Robold told jurors the charges were dismissed earlier this year.

"I did nothing wrong," Robold told jurors.

Neither Robold nor the nine witnesses who have previously testified for prosecutors have directly tied DeLay to the alleged scheme. DeGuerin has said DeLay had little involvement in running the group.