Indictment of Gay Foe DeLay

WASHINGTON -- Second-ranking republican in the US House of Representatives, Tom DeLay, has been indicted on criminal conspiracy charges over campaign financial issues.

Mr. DeLay, a long time political confidant of President George W. Bush, and a close ally, has been supporting the president in many important cases. Questions are now being raised if the powerful politician may have been forced to step down in order to avoid embarrassing controversy around some of the issues he supported.

A grand jury in his home state of Texas has charged Mr DeLay and two of his associates with criminal conspiracy for arranging illegal political donations for Texas Republican candidates.

According to Ronnie Earle, District Attorney, "The indictment describes a scheme whereby corporate money which cannot be given to candidates in Texas was sent to the Republican National Committee where it was exchanged for money raised from individuals."

Tom DeLay insists that the charges are a form of political retribution by the Democrat District Attorney.

According to reporter Michael Rowland, Tom DeLay is no stranger to controversy. The veteran congressman was reprimanded several times last year over what the House Ethics Committee called objectionable behavior. DeLay is also the centre of a political storm over his expensive, lobbyist funded travel tastes.