Tom DeLay finally received his indictment by Travis County DA and long-time nemesis Ronnie Earle, for conspiring with members of his PAC to help corporations give money to state legislators 60 days within a general election.

Here's how it went down:  a number of corporations give to a PAC that's headed by Tom DeLay.  The guys that are actually running it takes the money, sends it to the RNC, and the RNC gives it to their state election campaign division, who gives it to state legislators.  Now according to Earle, the problem with this is that 1.  corporations can't give donations within 60 days of the election, and 2.  state legislators can't receive corporate donations, period.  And Tom DeLay was behind all of this.

First, here are the corporations that gave to DeLay's PAC:

1.  Diversified Collection Services - $50,000

2.  Sears, Roebuck, and Co - $25,000

3.  Williams' Companies - $25,000

4.  Cornell Companies - $10,000

5.  Bacardi USA - $20,000

6.  Questerra Corporation - $25,000

Next, the candidates for the Texas legislature that Earle says the money was to go to:

 - Todd Baxter

 - Dwayne Bohac

 - Glenda Dawson

 - Dan Flynn

 - Rick Green

 - Jack Stick (?)

 - Larry Taylor

I've read the indictment, and I think Ronnie Earle has a hell of a lot to prove.  First, he has to prove that the corporations gave the money to the PACs for the expressed purpose of funnelling the money to these state legislature campaigns, and that the PAC's handlers at the knowledge of Tom DeLay had followed their orders.  The RNC, through the Republican National State Elections Committee, then had to give the requested corporate donations to the candidates.  Earle will have to show an elaborate scheme of deception...only to funnel $190,000.

But the 64,000 question is, why weren't any of the corporations indicted as well?  Especially considering the whole idea was to funnel their money to the candidates?  Nor was anyone from the RNC, who was supposed to be involved in this alleged ruse.  Will Earle be able to show that the monies that the corporations gave was DIRECTLY given to these candidates, or will it just show that the PAC decided to give the money to these candidates after the fact? 

Earle falsely calls the RNC a political party.  Incorrect.  The RNC is a national PAC as well, and there are no time limits as to when PACs stop contributing to a party.  And another hole I see in this is that the money specified in the indictment only comes up to $155,000.  Where did the other $35,000 come from?  What was its purpose?

Now hey; maybe Earle is holding out on some evidence he has for all of this.  I dunno.  But considering Earle's obvious partisan holdings, and knowing how the Democratic Party will stoop to any low to take out their opponents, I'm not holding my breath.  DeLay will be exonerated, but the point is to keep this in the news long enough so that the Democrats can make it a rallying cry for the next Congressional campaigns.  More than likely, the trial will take a year to start, so they will get their wish.