Tossed conviction of ex-US House Majority Leader Tom DeLay heads to high Texas criminal court

AUSTIN, Texas – The overturned conviction of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will be reviewed by the highest criminal court in Texas.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday agreed to hear the case after prosecutors in Austin appealed a ruling last fall that threw out a 2010 money laundering conviction against DeLay. No timetable was immediately set.

A jury had found DeLay guilty of illegally funneling corporate money to GOP candidates in Texas legislative races, where corporate money is barred. But in a 2-1 ruling in September, the Texas 3rd Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that prosecutors failed to prove that the money being laundered was illegally obtained.

DeLay had been sentenced to three years in prison, but the punishment had been put on hold pending appeal.