Judge Rules Against DeLay Group Official

Texas Judge Rules That Treasurer Of Group Founded By Rep. Tom DeLay Violated Election Code

26 May 2005 // The treasurer of a political committee formed by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay violated Texas election code by not reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and expenditures, a judge ruled Thursday in a civil case brought by Democratic candidates.

State District Judge Joe Hart, in a letter outlining his ruling to attorneys in the case, said the money should have been reported to the Texas Ethics Commission.

The ruling means Bill Ceverha, treasurer of the group, called the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee, will have to pay nearly $200,000. It will be divided among those who brought the suit against Ceverha, five Democratic candidates who lost legislative races in 2002.

Ceverha's lawyers argued in court that the group operated legally despite the confusion of state campaign funding laws.

Terry Scarborough, a defense lawyer for the committee, said the case was more about Democrats' anger over losing than about the actions of DeLay or of Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit had sought to tie both men to the activities of the political committee, run by DeLay associates.

The civil case is separate from a separate criminal investigation into 2002 election spending being conducted by a Travis County grand jury.

DeLay has not been accused of any wrongdoing.