DeLay Associate To Stand Trial

13 Jul 2005 // John Colyandro, a former associate of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), should stand trial on felony charges of money laundering, according to the ruling of a Texas judge yesterday.

Colyandro and his associate Jim Ellis, who operated DeLay’s PAC Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), were indicted in September 2004 for allegedly violating state election laws by moving $190,000 in TRMPAC corporate donations into the campaigns of a half dozen state House GOP candidates.

According to the Austin American Statesman, District Judge Bob Perkins said both men should stand trial, despite the arguments of lawyers for Colyandro and Ellis that Texas money laundering laws do not apply to transactions made by check.

A hearing on whether Ellis will stand trail has been delayed until Aug. 9. Colyandro, who faces 13 counts of unlawfully accepting corporate funds, will appeal the decision and will attend another pre-trial on July 27.