January 15, 2011

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/01/15/tom-delay-arrogance-not-crime

On Monday, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted on money laundering and conspiracy charges.

DeLay, who was nicknamed "The Hammer" for his tough legislative tactics, says the ruling has more to do with political backlash than wrongdoing.

During a Saturday interview with Fox News, DeLay said, "I have an ego and I have arrogance that I fight everyday. But arrogance is not a crime that you put somebody in prison for. This is a political trial."

DeLay added that he is a target of "selective prosecution" by former Travis County District Attorney, Ronnie Earle.

DeLay told Fox News, "We had a rogue district attorney in Austin, Texas that went through six grand juries until he found a grand jury on the last day of statute of limitations that was just sworn in to indict me on laws that don't exist."

DeLay fought to have the trial moved, arguing that Travis County was too liberal to try a former Republican Majority Leader.

While Texas leaned right in the past two elections, a majority of Travis County voters cast their ballots for Democratic candidates.

In the 2010 election, nearly 60% of the county voted for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White, who lost to Republican incumbent Rick Perry. In 2008, over 63% of Travis County voters cast a ballot for then-candidate Barack Obama, while the state's electoral votes went to John McCain.

DeLay says for a conservative like himself, a trial in Travis County is "like being tried in San Francisco."

DeLay and his attorney, Dick DeGuerin, say they plan to appeal the ruling.

"Juries convict innocent people all the time," said Delay. "That's why we have an appeals process."