A judge in Texas has sentenced Tom DeLay, the Republican Party's former U.S. House Majority Leader, to three years in prison for his role in a 2002 scheme to illegally funnel corporate donations to Texas political candidates.
A jury in November convicted DeLay of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, ruling he used his Texas-based political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Republican National Committee.
The Republican National Committee then sent the same amount to seven congressional candidates in Texas.
Senior Judge Pat Priest sentenced DeLay, 63, to a five-year sentence for money laundering and three years for conspiracy. The judge allowed DeLay to serve 10 years probation in lieu of the five-year term, but ordered him to serve the three-year term with no probation.
DeLay, once one of the most powerful U.S. politicians, had faced the possibility of up to life in prison.
compiled from agency reports
A jury in November convicted DeLay of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, ruling he used his Texas-based political action committee to send $190,000 in corporate money to an arm of the Republican National Committee.
The Republican National Committee then sent the same amount to seven congressional candidates in Texas.
Senior Judge Pat Priest sentenced DeLay, 63, to a five-year sentence for money laundering and three years for conspiracy. The judge allowed DeLay to serve 10 years probation in lieu of the five-year term, but ordered him to serve the three-year term with no probation.
DeLay, once one of the most powerful U.S. politicians, had faced the possibility of up to life in prison.
compiled from agency reports
