House Majority Leader Accused Of "Serious Criminal Acts"

A Texas Democrat whose Congressional career was abruptly ended by reapportionment this year has filed a complaint with the House ethics committee, accusing House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX, below) of "serious criminal acts" -- including abusing his Congressional power by using the FAA and Department of Homeland Security to track down a wayward plane load of state Democrats.

In May, 2003, Texas Democrats were outraged at their Republican counterparts' plan to reapportion Congressional districts in Texas. But they were so outnumbered in the Texas Legislature that they would have (and eventually did) lose a straight floor vote on the issue. So, rather than submit to the Republican majority, several of them piled into Rep. Pete Laney's Piper Cheyenne and bolted from Austin, destined for Ardmore (OK). There, they hid out for quite awhile.

When they disappeared, DeLay and Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick hit the panic button. DeLay later acknowledged called the Department of Justice and the FAA, eventually talking to the Air and Marine Interdiction Center in Riverside (CA), a division of the Department of Homeland Security.

Now, outgoing Congressman Chris Bell (D-TX) has filed an ethics complaint, saying DeLay abused his power as a leading member of Congress.

In the midst of concerns that the ethics allegations would spark retribution on the part of Congressional Republicans against Democrats, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said his office had neither encouraged nor discouraged Bell.

"I think that substantive charges have been raised," he said.

DeLay denies he did anything wrong, saying Bell's allegations were "all based on press clippings and it's nothing new." Warning that he has a lawyer in the proverbial bullpen, DeLay said, "we have made sure that everything that I do is legal and meets the rules of the House and the ethics committee's mandates and rules."

The House Ethics Committee has up to two weeks to decide whether the allegations are worthy of investigation. If the answer is "yes," the committee then has 45 days to make a recommendation. Eventually, committee members can launch a full-blown investigation.

FMI: www.house.gov/ethics, ANN Editorial