House GOP OKs rule to shield DeLay

Leader could keep post if indicted

November 18, 2004|By Sarah Frank, Washington Bureau. Tribune staff reporter Rudolph Bush contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — House Republicans voted Wednesday to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay by changing a party rule that likely would have forced him to step down if he is indicted in a Texas political corruption investigation.

The new rule, approved by a voice vote during a closed-door meeting of House Republicans, stated that a party committee would review any felony indictment of a party leader to determine whether it is politically motivated and recommend whether the leader should step down.

Under the old rule, enacted by Republicans in 1993 as a reform measure, he would have had to give up his post upon indictment.

DeLay has not been indicted in the Texas investigation, but three political associates have been, and some believe an indictment of DeLay may be coming.

Many Republicans voiced strong opposition to the rule change Wednesday and were upset as they emerged from the lengthy, closed-door caucus meeting where the decision was made.

"This isn't about Tom DeLay. It's about what makes this Republican conference different," Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) said. "We got elected in '94 by saying we would be different, and we passed congressional accountability saying that we would have to live by all the laws the rest of the nation lives by."

Democrats chided the GOP for changing its rules to protect the man many consider one of the most powerful members of Congress.

"Republicans have reached a new low," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement. "It is absolutely mind-boggling that as their first order of business following the elections, House Republicans have lowered the ethical standards for their leaders. Clearly, the Republicans do not care about the integrity of their party or the poor example they set for the nation."

DeLay fired back, saying the Democrats were engaging in the "politics of personal destruction" to try to change the Republican leadership. "At this particular time, our rules could be used against us and so they fixed the rules so that the Democrats cannot use our own rules against us," DeLay said. He denied asking for the rule change.

Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas), who introduced the measure, called the change smart planning against unfair attacks.

"It takes the power away from -- in any state of the country, in any county, in any community -- any partisan crackpot district attorney who might want to indict a member of our leadership or a committee chair," Bonilla said. "The future ought to be determined here by our leadership and our colleagues."

House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) left the caucus meeting by a side door and declined to answer questions about the rule change. He did say, however, that he thought the decision was good and fair.

The former party rule required leaders and committee heads to step down from their posts if indicted for a crime that could bring a prison term of at least two years, and made no distinction between state and federal felonies.

House Democrats have a rule that requires indicted committee and subcommittee chairs as well as ranking members to step down immediately.

Pelosi announced Wednesday that the Democrats will extend that rule to the leadership.

Ronnie Earle, a Democrat who is district attorney of Travis County, Texas, is leading a grand jury investigation into alleged campaign finance violations that helped Republicans win several Texas legislative races in 2002.

The increased Republican support helped DeLay spearhead a congressional redistricting that paid off for the House GOP during this year's election.

DeLay's political associates were indicted in September in connection with corporate donations made to a political action committee closely associated with the majority leader.

Last month, the House Ethics Committee admonished DeLay for appearing to link the political donations to legislative action. The committee also rebuked him for asking federal aviation officials to track an airplane with Democratic Texas legislators on board during the 2003 redistricting battle.