Pre-trial hearings for Tom DeLay are due to start Aug. 24...

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The formerRepublican lawmaker, who represented Sugar Land from 1984 to 2006, also said he is ready for up to three days of pre-trial hearings slated to start Aug. 24 in Austin on a state money-laundering charge related to campaign finance issues from the 2002 elections.

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In Texas, DeLay set up Texans for a Republican Majority, also known as TRMPAC, to raise money to help Republicans win control of the state House in the 2002 elections. That victory set the stage for a bitter redistricting fight in 2003 that redrew a majority of Texas' congressional districts to favor Republicans.

A TRMPAC investigation led former Travis County Attorney Ronnie Earle to obtain conspiracy and money-laundering indictments against DeLay, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro. The conspiracy indictment was thrown out, but the money-laundering indictment was upheld earlier this year by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Corporate money legally cannot be used in candidate elections in Texas. Ellis and Colyandro allegedly traded $190,000 in corporate money raised by TRMPAC with the Republican National Committee for funds raised from individuals and donated the money to 11 Republican House candidates. DeLay, Ellis and Colyandro say it was a legal exchange of money.

DeLay has accused Earle of running a politically motivated investigation. Earle said DeLay was done in by his own arrogance.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7155549.html