DeLay failed to report defense fund contributions

From the AP via the Houston Chronicle:

Rep. Tom DeLay failed to comply with House requirements that he disclose all contributions to a defense fund that pays his legal bills, the Texas Republican acknowledged to House officials.

He wrote officials that $20,850 contributed in 2000 and 2001 was not reported anywhere. Another $17,300 was included in the defense fund's quarterly report but not in DeLay's 2000 annual financial disclosure report — a separate requirement. Other donations were understated as totaling $2,800, when the figure should have been $4,450.

It was during that period that DeLay was the subject of several House ethics investigations.

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Wait a minute: DeLay's trying to get out of trouble, right?

To be fair to the talking lizard, however, which is much more than he's been willing to do over the years with people who don't share his conservative world view, I must admit that the former bug exterminator from Sugarland brought this financial boo-boo to the House's attention himself. I suppose he's trying to clean house, trying to make sure that no unexpected skeletons fall out of the closet when his case eventually makes it to trial. Good idea. However, to me, this financial reporting "mistake" simply lends credibility to the notion that the former House Majority Leader has been playing fast and loose with the law for years, walking that razor thin tightrope between legal and illegal like an acrobat who's been convinced by his circus' fortune teller that he's invulnerable, and a fall won't really hurt him. I guess we'll eventually see whether or not that's the case.

Heh.

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