View source for Tom DeLay

{{Short description|American politician (born 1947)}}
{{for|the British chief executive of the Carbon Trust|Tom Delay (businessman)}}
{{Distinguish|Tom Daley}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tom DeLay
| image = TomDeLay.jpg
| office = [[United States House of Representatives Majority Leader|House Majority Leader]]
| leader = [[Dennis Hastert]]
| term_start = January 3, 2003
| term_end = September 28, 2005
| predecessor = [[Dick Armey]]
| successor = [[Roy Blunt]] (acting)
| office1 = [[Party whips of the United States House of Representatives|House Majority Whip]]
| leader1 = [[Newt Gingrich]]<br>Dennis Hastert
| term_start1 = January 3, 1995
| term_end1 = January 3, 2003
| predecessor1 = [[David Bonior]]
| successor1 = Roy Blunt
| office2 = [[Republican Conference Secretary of the United States House of Representatives|Secretary of the House Republican Conference]]
| leader2 = [[Bob Michel]]
| term_start2 = January 3, 1993
| term_end2 = January 3, 1995
| predecessor2 = [[Vin Weber]]
| successor2 = [[Barbara Vucanovich]]
| office3 = Chair of the [[Republican Study Committee]]
| term_start3 = January 3, 1989
| term_end3 = January 3, 1993
| predecessor3 = [[Phil Crane]]
| successor3 = [[Dan Burton]]
| state4 = [[Texas]]
| district4 = {{ushr|TX|22|22nd}}
| term_start4 = January 3, 1985
| term_end4 = June 9, 2006
| predecessor4 = [[Ron Paul]]
| successor4 = [[Shelley Sekula-Gibbs]]
| office5 = Member of the [[Texas House of Representatives]]
| term_start5 = January 9, 1979
| term_end5 = January 8, 1985
| predecessor5 = Joe Hubenak
| successor5 = Jim Tallas
| constituency5 = [[Texas's 21st House of Representatives district|21st district]] (1979–1983)<br>[[Texas's 26th House of Representatives district|26th district]] (1983–1985)
| birth_name = Thomas Dale DeLay
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|4|8}}
| birth_place = [[Laredo, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse = Christine Furrh
| children = 1
| education = [[Baylor University]]<br>[[University of Houston]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])
| module = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on the American Careers Initiative.ogg |title=DeLay's voice |type=speech |description=DeLay explaining the American Careers Initiative.<br>Recorded May 11, 2004}}
}}
'''Thomas Dale DeLay''' ({{IPAc-en|d|ə|ˈ|l|eɪ}}; born April 8, 1947) is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]]. A [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], DeLay represented [[Texas's 22nd congressional district]] from 1985 until 2006. He served as [[Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives|House majority leader]] from 2003 to 2005.

DeLay began his political career in 1978 when he was elected to the [[Texas House of Representatives]]. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984. In 1988, DeLay was appointed [[Party whips of the United States House of Representatives|deputy minority whip]]. In 1994, he helped [[Newt Gingrich]] orchestrate the [[Republican Revolution]], which swept Democrats from power in both houses of Congress and put Republicans in control of the House of Representatives for the first time in forty years. In 1995, DeLay was elected [[Party whips of the United States House of Representatives|House majority whip]]. With the Republicans in control of both chambers in Congress, DeLay and conservative activist [[Grover Norquist]] helped start the [[K Street Project]] in an effort to advance Republican ideals. DeLay was elected House majority leader after the [[U.S. House election, 2002|2002 midterm elections]]. He was known as a staunch conservative during his years in Congress.

In 2005, a [[Travis County, Texas|Travis County]] grand jury indicted DeLay on criminal charges of conspiracy to violate [[election law]] by [[#Campaign_money_laundering|campaign money laundering]]. DeLay temporarily resigned from his position as House majority leader and later announced that he would not seek to return. He resigned his seat in Congress in June 2006. DeLay was convicted in January 2011 and sentenced to three years in prison, but was free on bail while appealing his conviction. The trial court's judgment was overturned by the Austin Court of Appeals, a Texas intermediate appellate court, on September 19, 2013; the Court of Appeals ruled that "the evidence in the case was 'legally insufficient to sustain DeLay's convictions{{' "}}, and acquitted DeLay. The acquittal was upheld on appeal.

After leaving Congress, DeLay co-authored a political memoir entitled ''[[No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight]]''. He also founded First Principles, LLC, a lobbying firm.

==Early life and education==
DeLay was born in [[Laredo, Texas]], one of three sons of Maxine Evelyn (née Wimbish) and Charles Ray DeLay.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/hammertomdelaygo00dubo | url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/hammertomdelaygo00dubo/page/15 15] | quote=Charlie married a young woman from Corpus Christi named Maxine Wimbish.. | title=The Hammer: God, Money, and the Rise of the Republican Congress| isbn=9781586482381| last1=Dubose| first1=Lou| last2=Reid| first2=Jan| last3=Reid| first3=M. R. Jan| date=September 28, 2004| publisher=PublicAffairs }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/us/tom-delay-fast-facts/index.html|work=CNN|title=Tom DeLay Fast Facts|date=April 7, 2014}}</ref> He spent most of his childhood in [[Venezuela]] due to his father's work in the [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] industry.<ref name="usnewswong">Wong, Queenie. [https://www.usnews.com/articles/news/politics/2009/08/17/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-tom-delay.html 10 Things You Didn't Know About Tom DeLay], ''US News & World Report'', August 17, 2009.</ref> He attended [[Calallen High School]] in [[Corpus Christi, Texas]], where he both played football and was the lead dancer in school productions. He attended [[Baylor University]] for two years, majoring in pre-med, but was expelled for drinking and painting Baylor school colors on a building at rival [[Texas A&M University]].<ref name="usnewswong"/> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that DeLay "received student draft deferments during the Vietnam era and avoided military service through the 1969 lottery".<ref name=Slate /> At the 1988 Republican Convention, he said that he could not volunteer to fight in Vietnam because so many minority youths had volunteered that there was literally no room for "patriotic folks" like himself.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2003/08/21/conason_three/|title=Male cheerleaders and chicken hawks|date=August 21, 2003|website=Salon}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Gregory |first1=Hamimlton |title=McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War |date=June 22, 2015 |publisher=Infinity Publishing |location=2182 |edition=Kindle }}</ref><ref name=Slate>{{Cite web |date=May 4, 1999|title=What Did You Do in the War, Hammer? |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/1999/05/what-did-you-do-in-the-war-hammer.html |access-date=2023-01-02 |publisher= [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |language=en}}</ref>

DeLay graduated from the [[University of Houston]] in 1970 with a [[Bachelor of Science]] in biology.<ref name="usnewswong"/>

==Early career==
After graduating from college, DeLay spent three years at pesticide-maker Redwood Chemical<ref name="usnewswong" /> and then purchased Albo Pest Control, which DeLay grew into a large and successful business. This work was the source for his nickname, "the Exterminator". In the 11 years DeLay ran the company, the [[Internal Revenue Service]] imposed three [[tax lien]]s on him for failure to pay [[payroll tax|payroll]] and [[income tax]]es.<ref name="absolutetruth">Perl, Peter [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2001/05/13/absolute-truth/a77055fc-17fd-4120-be8e-2ce8d4e3a23a/ Absolute Truth], [[The Washington Post]], May 13, 2001</ref> The [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]]'s ban on [[Mirex]], a [[pesticide]] that was used in extermination work, led DeLay to oppose government regulation of businesses, a belief that he has carried with him throughout his political career.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hollar|first=Julie|title=The DeLay Chronicles: A Nice Guy in Austin|magazine=[[The Texas Observer]]|date=February 4, 2000|url=http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=143}}</ref>

==Political career==
[[File:Bushtaxcuts.jpg|thumb|right|President Bush signing the [[Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001]]. DeLay is shown in the upper right of the photograph.]]

===Local politics===
In 1978, DeLay won the election for an open seat in the [[Texas House of Representatives]]. He was the first Republican to represent [[Fort Bend County, Texas|Fort Bend County]] in the state House.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/74R/billtext/html/HR00630F.htm|title=74th Legislature, R.S., House Resolution 630|publisher=Texas Legislature Online|accessdate=April 12, 2024}}</ref> He was first sworn in on January 9, 1979, as a representative from the [[Texas's 21st House of Representatives district|21st district]] and served in the state House until 1985.<ref name=LRL>{{cite web|url= https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=448|title=Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay|work=Texas Legislators: Past & Present |publisher=Legislative Reference Library of Texas|access-date=April 12, 2024}}</ref> DeLay ran for [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] in [[1984 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas|1984]] from the 22nd District, after fellow Republican [[Ron Paul]] decided to run in the Republican primary for the 1984 [[U.S. Senate]] race instead of for reelection (Paul subsequently returned to Congress from a neighboring district). He easily won a crowded six-way primary with 53 percent of the vote, and cruised to election in November. DeLay was one of six freshmen Republican congressmen elected from Texas in 1984 known as the [[Texas Six Pack]]. He was reelected 10 times, never facing substantive opposition in what had become a solidly Republican district.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

===Early congressional career===
As a member of the Republican minority in the 1980s, DeLay made a name for himself by criticizing the [[National Endowment for the Arts]] and the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]]. During his first term in Congress, DeLay was appointed to the Republican Committee on Committees, which assigned representatives to [[House Committee (Parliament of the United States)|House committee]]s, and in his second term, he was appointed to the powerful [[House Appropriations Committee]], a position that he retained until his election as majority leader in 2003. He was reappointed to the committee in 2006 after leaving his position as majority leader. He also served for a time as chairman of a group of conservative House Republicans known as the [[Republican Study Committee]], and as [[Republican Conference Secretary of the United States House of Representatives|Secretary of the House Republican Conference]]. DeLay was appointed as a deputy Republican whip in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |title=Representative Tom DeLay |url=https://www.thecommongoodus.org/past-speakers/representative-tom-delay |website=thecommongoodus.org |date=June 21, 2019 |publisher=The Common Good Forum, Inc. |access-date=9 March 2020}}</ref>

===Majority whip===
When the Republican Party gained control of the House in 1995 following the [[1994 United States House of Representatives elections|1994 election]], or "[[Republican Revolution]]", DeLay was elected [[Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives|Majority Whip]] against the wishes of [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]]-elect [[Newt Gingrich]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

DeLay was not always on good terms with Gingrich or [[Dick Armey]], the House majority leader from 1995 to 2003, and he reportedly considered them uncommitted to [[Christian values]]. Nevertheless, in the heyday of the 104th Congress (1995–1997), DeLay described the Republican leadership as a [[triumvirate]] of Gingrich, "the visionary"; Armey, "the policy [[wikt:wonk|wonk]]"; and himself, "the ditch digger who makes it all happen".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Dreyfuss|first=Robert|title=DeLay, Incorporated|magazine=The Texas Observer|date=February 4, 2000|url=http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=142}}</ref>

In the summer of 1997, several House Republicans, who saw [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]] [[Newt Gingrich]]'s public image as a liability, attempted to replace him as Speaker. The attempted "coup" began July 9 with a meeting between Republican conference chairman [[John Boehner]] of [[Ohio]] and Republican leadership chairman [[Bill Paxon]] of [[New York (state)|New York]]. According to their plan, [[Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives|House majority leader]] Dick Armey, House Majority Whip DeLay, Boehner and Paxon were to present Gingrich with an ultimatum: resign, or be voted out. However, Armey balked at the proposal to make Paxon the new Speaker, and told his chief of staff to warn Gingrich about the coup.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/07/21/time/gingrich.html|publisher=CNN|title=Attempted Republican Coup: Ready, Aim, Misfire|date=July 21, 1997|access-date=May 20, 2010}}</ref>

As Majority Whip, DeLay earned the nickname "The Hammer" for his enforcement of party discipline in close votes and his reputation for wreaking political vengeance on opponents. DeLay has expressed a liking for his nickname, pointing out that the [[hammer]] is one of a carpenter's most valuable tools.<ref>{{cite web|last=DeLay|first=Tom|title=Pelosi, Stumbling out of the Gate|publisher=TomDeLay.com|date=December 20, 2006|url=http://www.tomdelay.com/home/2006/12/20/pelosi-stumbling-out-of-the-gate.html|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070718115424/http://www.tomdelay.com/home/2006/12/20/pelosi-stumbling-out-of-the-gate.html|archive-date=July 18, 2007}}</ref> In the 104th Congress, DeLay successfully whipped 300 out of 303 bills.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dubose|first=Lou|author2=Jan Reid|title=The Hammer: Tom DeLay: God, Money, and the Rise of the Republican Congress|publisher=PublicAffairs|year=2004|page=[https://archive.org/details/hammertomdelaygo00dubo/page/98 98]|isbn=1-58648-238-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/hammertomdelaygo00dubo/page/98}}</ref>

In 1998, DeLay worked to ensure that the House vote on impeaching President [[Bill Clinton]] was successful.<ref name="absolutetruth" /> DeLay rejected efforts to [[censure]] Clinton, who, DeLay said, had lied under oath.<ref name="bigpush">{{Cite news|last1=Carney|first1=James|last2=Dickerson|first2=John F.|title=The big push to impeach|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=December 7, 1998|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/1998/12/07/impeachment.html}}</ref> DeLay posited that the [[U.S. Constitution]] allowed the House to punish the president only through impeachment. He called on Clinton to resign and influenced Republican House members to vote to approve articles of impeachment.<ref name="bigpush" />

In 1998, [[Newt Gingrich]] faced a second major attempt by House Republicans, including DeLay, to oust him as Speaker. Gingrich announced he would decline to take his seat in the upcoming Congress. After [[House Appropriations Committee|Appropriations Committee]] chairman [[Bob Livingston]] and Dick Armey withdrew from consideration for the speakership, DeLay, as the third-ranking House Republican, had the inside track to the job. However, DeLay concluded that he would be "too nuclear" to lead the closely divided House that had resulted from the Republican House losses in 1996 and 1998. Instead, DeLay proposed his chief vote-counter, Chief Deputy Whip [[Dennis Hastert]], as a compromise candidate, since Hastert had very good relations on both sides of the aisle. As Congress reconvened in January 1999, Hastert was elected House Speaker, and DeLay was reelected [[House Majority Whip]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/07/ap/politics/mainD8F01VLGF.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060302183035/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/07/ap/politics/mainD8F01VLGF.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 2, 2006|title="Tenacious Tom DeLay Has Had Wild Ride"|website=[[CBS News]] }}</ref>

===Majority leader===
[[File:Tom DeLay on the steps of the Capitol Building.jpg|thumb|DeLay at the [[United States Capitol]]]]
After serving as his party's Whip for eight years, DeLay was elected majority leader upon the retirement of [[Dick Armey]] in 2003. His tenure as majority leader was marked by strong Republican party discipline and by parliamentary and redistricting efforts to preserve Republican control of the House. After his indictment on September 28, 2005, DeLay stepped down from his position as majority leader. He was the first congressional leader ever to be indicted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-delay-investigation,1,1414739.story?coll=chi-news-hed|title=DeLay Steps Down From House Post|agency=Associated Press|author=Margasak, Larry|date=September 29, 2005|access-date=April 23, 2006|work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> Rep. [[Roy Blunt]] of Missouri took over as acting leader.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9507677|title=DeLay indicted in campaign finance probe|agency=Associated Press|date=September 28, 2005|access-date=April 14, 2006}}</ref>

On January 7, 2006, after weeks of growing pressure from Republican colleagues, and particularly from Reps. [[Charles Bass|Charlie Bass]] and [[Jeff Flake]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/06/AR2006010601763.html|title=Tide Turning Against DeLay|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Weisman, Jonathan|date=January 7, 2006|access-date=September 10, 2006}}</ref> who wanted to avoid being associated with DeLay's legal issues in an election year, DeLay announced he would not seek to regain his position as majority leader.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

====Legislative and electoral methods====
DeLay was known to "primary" Republicans who resisted his votes (i.e., to threaten to endorse and to support a Republican [[Partisan primary|primary]] challenge to the disobedient representative).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/08/AR2006060801342.html|title=DeLay Pulls No Punches In Final Speech to House|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Grunwald, Michael|date=June 9, 2006|access-date=January 9, 2007}}</ref>

In the 108th Congress, a preliminary [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] vote passed 216–215, a vote on [[Head Start (education)|Head Start]] passed 217–216, a vote on [[school voucher]]s for Washington, D.C., passed 209–208, and "[[Fast track (trade)|Fast track]]", usually called "trade promotion authority", passed by one vote as well. Both political supporters and opponents remarked on DeLay's ability to sway the votes of his party, a method DeLay described as "growing the vote". DeLay was noted for involving lobbyists in the process of passing House bills. One lobbyist said, "I've had members pull me aside and ask me to talk to another member of Congress about a bill or amendment, but I've never been asked to work on a bill—at least like they are asking us to whip bills now."<ref>Dubose and Reid, p. 93</ref> His ability to raise money gave him additional influence. During the 2004 election cycle, DeLay's political action committee [[Americans for a Republican Majority|ARMPAC]] was one of the top contributors to Republican congressional candidates, contributing over $980,000 in total.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strid=C00292946&cycle=2004|title=Political Action Committees: Americans for a Republican Majority| publisher=[[OpenSecrets]] |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822025126/http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strID=C00292946&cycle=2004|archive-date=August 22, 2006}}</ref>

Partly as a result of DeLay's management abilities, the House Republican caucus under him displayed unprecedented, sustained party cohesion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-04-04-delay-usat-analysis_x.htm|title=DeLay's hardball tactics coming back on him|work=USA Today|author=Drinkard, Jim|date=April 5, 2006|access-date=April 29, 2006}}</ref>

On September 30, 2004, the House Ethics Committee unanimously admonished DeLay because he "offered to endorse Representative [[Nick Smith (U.S. politician)|Nick Smith]]'s son in exchange for Representative Smith's vote in favor of the [[Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act|Medicare bill]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.house.gov/ethics/Medicare_Report.pdf|title=Investigation of Certain Allegations Related to Voting on the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003|publisher=U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|date=September 30, 2004|access-date=April 22, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060411181935/http://www.house.gov/ethics/Medicare_Report.pdf|archive-date=April 11, 2006}}</ref>

==Legal and ethical issues==

===Campaign finance charges===
{{main|Tom DeLay campaign finance trial}}
Following official admonishments by the [[United States House Committee on Ethics]],<ref>{{Cite news|first=Charles|last=Babington|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12933-2004Oct6.html|title=DeLay Draws Third Rebuke|work=The Washington Post|date=October 7, 2004|access-date=June 21, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050416232352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12933-2004Oct6.html|archive-date=April 16, 2005|url-status=dead}}</ref> DeLay was charged in 2005 with [[money laundering]] and [[Conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] [[Criminal charge|charges]] related to illegal [[campaign finance]] activities aimed at helping Republican candidates for Texas state office in the [[2002 Texas House of Representatives election|2002 elections]]. The [[indictment]] was sought by [[Ronnie Earle]], the Democratic former [[District Attorney]] of [[Travis County, Texas|Travis County]] (which includes the state capital of [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]). A first grand jury rejected Earle's indictment attempt, but a second grand jury issued an indictment for one count of criminal conspiracy on September 28, 2005. On October 3, a third grand jury indicted DeLay for the more serious offense of money laundering.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stutz|first1=Terrence|title=Earlier Jury Declined To Indict Delay|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-10-06/news/0510051155_1_grand-jury-delay-and-two-laundering|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140817012935/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-10-06/news/0510051155_1_grand-jury-delay-and-two-laundering|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 17, 2014|website=The Sun Sentinel|access-date=August 17, 2014}}</ref>

An arrest warrant was issued on October 19, 2005, and DeLay turned himself in the next day to the [[Harris County Sheriff's Office (Texas)|Harris County Sheriff's Office]] in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/20/Delay.booking "Smiling DeLay turns himself in for booking"], CNN.com, October 21, 2005.</ref> In accordance with [[Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives|House Republican Conference]] rules, DeLay temporarily resigned from his position as House majority leader. On January 7, 2006, after pressure from fellow Republicans, he announced that he would not seek to return to the post. On June 9, 2006, he resigned from Congress.<ref>Jonathan Weisman and Chris Cillizza, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR2006040301787.html "DeLay to Resign From Congress"], ''Washington Post'', April 4, 2006; accessed September 2, 2014.</ref>

After two judges [[Recusal|recused themselves]], the Chief Justice of the [[Texas Supreme Court]] assigned Senior District Judge [[Pat Priest (judge)|Pat Priest]] to preside over the trial.<ref>"[https://www.cnn.com/?_s=PM:US "San Antonio judge assigned to hear DeLay case"], CNN.com, November 4, 2005.</ref>

DeLay [[Motion (legal)|moved to dismiss]] all charges. Judge Priest dismissed one count of the indictment alleging conspiracy to violate election law but allowed the other, more serious charges of money laundering and conspiracy to engage in money laundering to proceed. He also refused to allow a change of venue from [[Travis County]], which the defense argued could not be the site of an impartial trial, to [[Fort Bend County, Texas|Fort Bend County]], in which DeLay resided. The trial began on October 26, 2010, in Austin.<ref>Kelley Shannon, [http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/national-politics/20100826-Judge-denies-request-to-move-DeLay-1814.ece "Judge denies request to move DeLay trial out of Austin"], ''The Associated Press'', August 26, 2010; accessed December 2, 2015.</ref>

====Conviction====
On November 24, 2010, DeLay was found guilty by a Travis County jury on both counts. The range of possible sentences was [[probation]] to between 5 and 99 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines, though the judge could have chosen [[probation]].<ref>James McKinley, Jr., [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/25/us/politics/25delay.html "DeLay Is Convicted in Texas Donation Case"], ''New York Times'', November 24, 2010; accessed August 21, 2014.</ref> On January 10, 2011, after a [[Sentence (law)|sentencing hearing]], the judge sentenced DeLay to three years in prison on the charge of conspiring to launder corporate money into political donations. On the charge of money laundering, he was sentenced to five years in prison, but that was probated for 10 years, meaning DeLay would serve 10 years' probation. [[Dick DeGuerin]] was DeLay's [[defense attorney]].

====Appeal and acquittal====
DeLay appealed his conviction to the [[Texas Court of Appeals for the Third District]] at Austin, which heard oral arguments on October 10, 2012.<ref>Laylan Copelin, [http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/01/10/delay_appears_in_court.html "DeLay sentenced to 3 years in prison"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424130242/http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/01/10/delay_appears_in_court.html/ |date=April 24, 2014 }}, ''Austin American-Statesman'', January 10, 2011; accessed August 21, 2014.</ref> On September 19, 2013, a ruling by the Court of Appeals overturned his convictions and entered an acquittal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2013/09/19/tom-delay-conviction-overturned-by-texas-court/|title=Tom Delay conviction overturned by Texas Court|date=September 19, 2013|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Justice Melissa Goodwin wrote in the majority opinion that<blockquote>Rather than supporting an agreement to violate the election code, the evidence shows that the defendants were attempting to comply with the Election Code limitations on corporate contributions.</blockquote> She was joined in the opinion by visiting Justice David Galtney. Chief Justice J. Woodfin Jones dissented, writing, "I disagree with the majority's conclusion that there was legally insufficient evidence to support a jury finding that the corporate contributions at issue here were the proceeds of criminal activity." The [[Texas Court of Criminal Appeals]] granted the prosecution's petition for discretionary review on March 19, 2013, agreeing to review the decision of the Texas Court of Appeals Third District.<ref>Mark Memmott, [https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/09/19/224070833/tom-delays-conviction-overturned-on-appeal "Tom DeLay's conviction overturned on appeal"], [[National Public Radio]], September 19, 2013; retrieved October 14, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/CR11-087.diss_.pdf Dissenting Opinion by Justice J. Woodfin Jones], Texas Court of Appeals Third District at Austin, Woodfin Jones. Case No. 03-11-00087-CR, September 19, 2013; retrieved October 14, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.cca.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/Case.asp?FilingID=298059 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Pet. No. PD-1465-13] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424095255/http://www.cca.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/Case.asp?FilingID=298059 |date=April 24, 2014 }}, cca.courts.state.tx.us; accessed August 21, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://tpr.org/post/texas-court-criminal-appeals-weighing-tom-delays-overturned-conviction "Texas Court Of Criminal Appeals Weighing Tom DeLay's Overturned Conviction"], Texas Public Radio (June 18, 2014).</ref><ref>[http://kut.org/post/texas-court-criminal-appeals-weighing-tom-delays-overturned-conviction Texas Court Of Criminal Appeals weighs state's appeal of DeLay exoneration], kut.org; accessed August 21, 2014.</ref>

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled, 8-1, to affirm the lower courts' dismissal on October 1, 2014.<ref>[http://images.bimedia.net/documents/tom-delay-appeal-doc-12D.pdf ''DeLay, Appellant v. Texas, Appellee'' (Opinion)], No. 03-11-00087-CR, Tex. Ct. App. (Austin, TX), September 19, 2013; accessed October 2, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://images.bimedia.net/documents/DeLay+Dissenting+Opinion.pdf ''DeLay, Appellant v. Texas, Appellee'' (Dissenting Opinion)], No. 03-11-00087-CR, Tex. Ct. App. (Austin, TX), September 19, 2013; accessed October 2, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.salon.com/2013/09/23/not_so_fast_tom_delay/ Not so fast, Tom Delay], ''[[Salon.com]]'', Brad Friedman, September 23, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2019.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2014/10/01/reversal-of-tom-delays-conviction-upheld-by-texas-court/|title=Reversal of Tom DeLay's Conviction Upheld by Texas Court|first=Nathan|last=Koppel|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=October 1, 2014}}</ref>

===Contributions from Russian oil executives===
In December 2005, the ''Washington Post'' reported that, in 1998, a group of Russian oil executives had given money to a nonprofit advocacy group run by a former DeLay staffer and funded by clients of [[lobbyist]] [[Jack Abramoff]], in an attempt to influence DeLay's vote on an [[International Monetary Fund]] bailout of the Russian economy.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=R. Jeffrey|title=The DeLay-Abramoff Money Trail|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 31, 2005|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/30/AR2005123001480_pf.html}}</ref> Associates of DeLay adviser [[Ed Buckham]], the founder of the [[U.S. Family Network]], said that executives from the oil firm Naftasib had offered a donation of $1,000,000 to be delivered to a [[Washington, D.C.]]-area airport to secure DeLay's support. On June 25, 1998, the U.S. Family Network received a $1 million check via money transferred through the London law firm James & Sarch Co. This payment was the largest single entry on U.S. Family Network's donor list. The original source of the donation was not recorded.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sherwell|first=Philip|author2=David Harrison|title=British lawyers linked to $1 million payment for favors at US Congress|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=January 9, 2006|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/08/wus08.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/08/ixnewstop.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629052645/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/08/wus08.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/08/ixnewstop.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2006|location=London}}</ref> DeLay denied the payment had influenced his vote. Naftasib denied it had made the payment and that it had ever been represented by James & Sarch Co. The now-dissolved law firm's former partners declined to comment due to "confidentiality requirements". {{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

===The K Street Project===
{{See also|K Street Project}}
DeLay's involvement with the lobbying industry included a pointed effort on the part of the Republican Party to parlay the Congressional majority into dominance of [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K Street]], the lobbying district of Washington, D.C. DeLay, Senator [[Rick Santorum]], and [[Grover Norquist]] launched a campaign in 1995 encouraging lobbying firms to retain only Republican officials in top positions. Firms that had Democrats in positions of authority, DeLay suggested, would not be granted the ear of majority party members. In 1999, DeLay was privately reprimanded by the House Ethics Committee after he pulled an intellectual property rights bill off the House floor when the [[Electronic Industries Alliance]] (EIA) hired a former Democratic Congressman, [[Dave McCurdy]].<ref>Dubose, Lou [http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/04/08/scandals/index1.html Broken Hammer?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517174243/http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/04/08/scandals/index1.html |date=May 17, 2006 }}, [[Salon.com]], April 8, 2005; retrieved 2006-04-15.</ref> Firms initially responded to the campaign, but it waned during 2004, when the possibility of Senator [[John Kerry]]'s winning the presidency gave lobbying firms some incentive to hire Democrats.<ref>Birnbaum, Jeffrey [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21972-2004Jul1.html "Going Left on K Street"], ''The Washington Post'', July 2, 2004; retrieved 2006-06-18.</ref>

===Cuban cigar photo===
DeLay has long been a strong critic of [[Cuba]]n leader [[Fidel Castro]]'s regime, which DeLay has called a "thugocracy", and a supporter of the U.S. [[United States embargo against Cuba|trade embargo against Cuba]]. However, in April 2005, ''[[Time Magazine]]'' published a photo from a government-funded July 2003 trip to Israel, in which DeLay is seen [[tobacco smoking|smoking]] a Cuban cigar.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1054968,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050428022515/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1054968,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 28, 2005|magazine=Time|title=But Did He Inhale?|date=April 27, 2005|access-date=April 16, 2006|author=Tumulty, Karen}}</ref> The consumption or purchase of Cuban cigars was illegal in the United States at the time (but was legal for U.S. citizens abroad). In September 2004, the [[U.S. Treasury Department]]'s enforcement of the law toughened it to forbid consumption (smoking) or purchase of Cuban cigars by U.S. citizens anywhere in the world, but this ban was partially lifted by [[President Obama]] in October 2016.

===Ethics admonishment for misuse of federal agency resources===
During the controversial [[2003 Texas redistricting|mid-decade redistricting plan in Texas]], several Democratic members of the [[Texas legislature|Texas House of Representatives]] went to [[Oklahoma]] to prevent the House from establishing a [[quorum]] of members, thereby preventing the House from acting on any legislation, including a proposed redistricting plan. Although not a member of the Texas legislature, DeLay became involved, by contacting several federal agencies in order to determine the location of the missing legislators. DeLay's staff contacted the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) for assistance in tracking down a plane that one of the legislators was flying to Oklahoma, an action that the FAA believed to be a result of safety concerns about the aircraft.<ref name="drawingtheline">Toobin, Jeffrey [https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/03/06/060306fa_fact?currentPage=1 Drawing the Line], [[The New Yorker]], February 27, 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-19.</ref> A review by the [[U.S. Department of Transportation]] found that a total of thirteen FAA employees spent more than eight hours searching for the airplane.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-redistricting-fight-not-over/ "Texas Redistricting Fight Not Over"], Associated Press, October 18, 2004; retrieved 2006-07-23.</ref>

Members of DeLay's staff asked the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] to arrest the missing Democrats but a Justice Department official dismissed DeLay's and his staff's request as "wacko".<ref name="drawingtheline" /> DeLay also contacted [[United States Marshal]] and [[United States Attorney]]'s offices in Texas, as well as the Air and Marine Interdiction Coordination Center, an agency that deals with smuggling and terrorism.<ref>[https://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&Affiliation=R&PressRelease_id=415&Month=8&Year=2003 Lieberman: Federal Authority Misused by Texas Republicans] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050421153343/https://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&Affiliation=R&PressRelease_id=415&Month=8&Year=2003 |date=April 21, 2005 }}, [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs]], August 22, 2003; retrieved 2006-04-24.</ref> U.S. senator [[Joseph Lieberman]] (I-[[Connecticut]]) requested an investigation into DeLay's involvement in the requests, and asked that any [[White House]] involvement be reported. The House Ethics Committee admonished DeLay for improper use of FAA resources, and for involving federal agencies in a matter that should have been resolved by Texas authorities.<ref>[http://www.house.gov/ethics/DeLay_letter.htm DeLay letter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050424165631/http://www.house.gov/ethics/DeLay_letter.htm |date=April 24, 2005 }}, U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, October 4, 2004; retrieved 2006-04-24.</ref>

===Civil lawsuit===
In early 1999, ''[[The New Republic]]'' picked up a story, first reported by Houston-area alternative weeklies, alleging that DeLay had committed [[perjury]] during a civil lawsuit brought against him by a former business partner in 1994.<ref name="DeLay denies lying under oath in '94 suit">{{cite news|last=Eilperin|first=Juliet|title=DeLay Denies Lying Under Oath in '94 Suit Over Business|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/delay030599.htm|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 19, 2013|date=March 5, 1999}}</ref>

The plaintiff in that suit, Robert Blankenship, charged that DeLay and a third partner in Albo Pest Control had breached the partnership agreement by trying to force him out of the business without buying him out. Blankenship filed suit, charging DeLay and the other partner with breach of [[fiduciary duty]], [[fraud]], [[wrongful termination]], and loss of corporate expectancy. While being [[deposition (law)|deposed]] in that suit, DeLay claimed that he did not think that he was an officer or [[board of directors|director]] of Albo and that he believed that he had resigned two or three years previously.<ref name="The Absolute Truth">{{cite news|last1=Perl|first1=Peter|title=The Absolute Truth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2001/05/13/absolute-truth/a77055fc-17fd-4120-be8e-2ce8d4e3a23a/|access-date=April 28, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 13, 2001}}</ref> However, his congressional disclosure forms, including one filed subsequent to the deposition, stated that he was either president or chairman of the company between 1985 and 1994. Blankenship also alleged that Albo money had been spent on DeLay's congressional campaigns, in violation of federal and state law. DeLay and Blankenship [[settlement (law)|settled]] for an undisclosed sum. Blankenship's attorney said that had he known about the congressional disclosure forms, he would have referred the case to the [[Harris County, Texas|Harris County]] district attorney's office for a perjury prosecution.<ref name="The Absolute Truth" />

===Jack Abramoff scandal===
{{See also|Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal}}
DeLay was the target of the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] investigation into Republican lobbyist [[Jack Abramoff|Jack Abramoff's]] actions. Abramoff allegedly provided DeLay with trips, gifts, and political donations in exchange for favors to Abramoff's lobbying clients, which included the government of the U.S. Commonwealth of the [[Northern Mariana Islands]], [[Internet gambling]] services, and several Native American tribes.<ref name="underscrutiny">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/25/AR2005112501423_pf.html|title=Lawmakers Under Scrutiny in Probe of Lobbyist|newspaper=The Washington Post|author1=Schmidt, Susan |author2=James V. Grimaldi |name-list-style=amp |date=November 26, 2005|access-date=April 16, 2006}}</ref> Two of DeLay's former political aides, [[Tony Rudy]] and [[Michael Scanlon]], as well as Abramoff himself, pleaded guilty in 2006 to charges relating to the investigation. Political columnist [[Robert Novak]] reported that Abramoff "has no derogatory information about former House majority leader Tom DeLay and is not implicating him as part of his [[plea bargain]] with federal prosecutors."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://townhall.com/opinion/columns/robertnovak/2006/03/25/191300.html|title=Abramoff clearing DeLay|date=March 25, 2006|access-date=April 16, 2006|author=Novak, Robert|author-link=Bob Novak}}</ref>

According to [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[20/20 (US television show)|20/20]]'' television program and [[NPR]], Abramoff lobbied DeLay to stop legislation banning [[sex shop]]s and [[sweatshop]]s that forced employees to have abortions in the [[Northern Mariana Islands]] when Abramoff accompanied DeLay on a 1997 trip to the U.S. [[commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|commonwealth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5492833|title=The Abramoff-DeLay-Mariana Islands Connection|work=[[NPR]]|date=June 17, 2006|access-date=February 22, 2014|author=Ydstie, John}}</ref> While on the trip, DeLay promised not to put the bill on the legislative calendar.<ref name="islandgetaway">{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=647725&page=1|title=DeLay's Lavish Island Getaway|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|author=Ross, Brian|date=April 6, 2005|access-date=April 16, 2006|author-link=Brian Ross (journalist)}}</ref>

In 2000, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a worker reform bill to extend the protection of U.S. labor and [[minimum wage|minimum-wage]] laws to the workers in the Northern Mariana Islands. DeLay, the House Republican Whip, stopped the House from considering the bill.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/09/real.delay|title=The real scandal of Tom DeLay|publisher=CNN|author=Shields, Mark|date=May 9, 2005|access-date=April 16, 2006|author-link=Mark Shields}}</ref> DeLay later blocked a fact-finding mission planned by Rep. [[Peter Hoekstra]] (R-MI) by threatening him with the loss of his subcommittee chairmanship.<ref name="islandgetaway" />

DeLay received gifts from Abramoff, including paid golfing holidays to Scotland, concert tickets, and the use of Abramoff's private [[Luxury box|skyboxes]] for fundraisers. In May 2000, ARMPAC received the free use of one of Abramoff's private skyboxes to host a political fundraiser. At the time, campaign finance laws did not require the use of the skybox, valued at several thousand dollars, to be disclosed or for Abramoff to be reimbursed for its use.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7577057|title=DeLay used lobbyist's concert skybox|agency=Associated Press|date=April 20, 2005|access-date=April 16, 2006}}</ref>

Later that month, the DeLays, Rudy, another aide, and Abramoff took a trip to [[London]] and Scotland. Abramoff paid for the airfare for the trip, and lobbyist Ed Buckham paid for expenses at a hotel at St. Andrews golf course in Scotland.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12416-2005Apr23.html|title=DeLay Airfare Was Charged to Lobbyist's Credit Card|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Smith, R. Jeffrey|date=April 24, 2005|access-date=June 21, 2006}}</ref> Abramoff was reimbursed by The National Center for Public Policy Research, the nonprofit organization that arranged the trip. On the day that the trip began, The National Center received large donations from two of Abramoff's clients, internet lottery service eLottery, Inc., and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Both organizations denied that they had intended to pay for DeLay's trip.<ref name="gamblinginterests">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28252-2005Mar11.html|title=Gambling Interests Funded DeLay Trip|newspaper=The Washington Post|author1=Grimaldi, James V.  |author2=R. Jeffrey Smith |name-list-style=amp |date=March 12, 2005|access-date=June 21, 2006}}</ref>

House rules forbid members to accept travel expenses from lobbyists, and require that members inquire into the sources of funds that nonprofits use to pay for trips. DeLay denied knowing that lobbyists had paid for travel expenses. In July 2000, DeLay voted against a bill that would have restricted Internet gambling. Both eLottery and the Choctaws opposed the bill.<ref name="gamblinginterests" /> Rudy, who was then DeLay's deputy chief of staff, doomed the bill by engineering a parliamentary maneuver that required a two-thirds majority vote, rather than a simple majority, for the bill to pass. Rudy's actions on behalf of Abramoff's clients during this time were mentioned in Abramoff's guilty plea in January 2006.<ref name="Rudyinvestigation">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/09/AR2006010900952.html|title=Abramoff Probe Turns Focus on DeLay Aide|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Weisman, Jonathan|date=January 8, 2006|access-date=June 21, 2006}}</ref>

In January 2006, [[The Associated Press]] reported that in 2001, DeLay co-signed a letter to [[U.S. Attorney General]] [[John Ashcroft]] calling for the closure of a casino owned by the [[Alabama-Coushatta Tribe]] of Texas. Two weeks earlier, the Choctaws had donated $1,000 to DeLay's [[Texans for a Republican Majority]] PAC (TRMPAC). A DeLay spokesman denied that the donations had influenced DeLay's actions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-delay-pushed-to-shut-casino/|title=Report: DeLay Pushed To Shut Casino|agency=Associated Press|date=January 10, 2006|access-date=April 16, 2006|work=CBS News}}</ref> Currently, and at the time of the letter, casinos or other private gambling establishments are illegal in Texas, even on Indian reservations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/PE/content/htm/pe.010.00.000047.00.htm|title=Texas Penal Code, Chapter 47: Gambling|access-date=April 22, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207050749/http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/PE/content/htm/pe.010.00.000047.00.htm|archive-date=February 7, 2006}}</ref>

Scanlon, who became Abramoff's lobbying partner, pleaded guilty in November 2005 to [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] charges.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/21/scanlon.plea/|title=DeLay ex-aide pleads guilty in Abramoff case|publisher=CNN|author=Frieden, Terry|date=November 21, 2005|access-date=June 21, 2006}}</ref> Abramoff pleaded guilty to [[fraud]], [[tax evasion]], and [[Conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] charges on January 3, 2006, and agreed to cooperate with the government's investigation. His cooperation may have forced DeLay to abandon his efforts to return to his position as House majority leader,<ref name="Rudyinvestigation" /> a decision DeLay announced only a few days after Abramoff's plea bargain. Rudy pleaded guilty on March 31, 2006, to illegally acting on Abramoff's behalf in exchange for gifts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033101742.html|title=A Force Behind the Power|newspaper=The Washington Post|author1=Eilperin, Juliet |author2=Jeffrey H. Birnbaum |name-list-style=amp |date=April 1, 2006|access-date=June 21, 2006}}</ref> Abramoff referred clients to Ed Buckham's [[Alexander Strategy Group]] (ASG), a lobbying firm. In addition, Abramoff clients gave more than $1.5 million to Buckham's U.S. Family Network, which then paid ASG more than $1 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former DeLay Aide Enriched By Nonprofit|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/25/AR2006032501166_pf.html|last=Smith|first=R. Jeffrey|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 26, 2006}}</ref>

From 1998–2002, ASG paid Christine DeLay (Tom DeLay's wife) a monthly salary averaging between $3,200 and $3,400. DeLay's attorney, Richard Cullen, initially said the payments were for telephone calls she made periodically to the offices of certain members of Congress seeking the names of their favorite charities, and that she then forwarded that information to Buckham, along with some information about those charities. In early June 2006, Cullen said the payments were also for general political consulting she provided to her husband. In all, Christine DeLay was paid about $115,000 directly by ASG, and got another $25,000 via money put into a [[retirement]] account by the firm.<ref>{{cite news|title=Retirement Account of DeLay's Wife Traced: With Disclosure, Family's Known Benefits From Ties With Lobbyist Exceed $490,000|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/06/AR2006060601320.html|last=Smith|first=R. Jeffrey|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 7, 2006}}</ref> Her work with ASG has been the subject of an inquiry by the Department of Justice.<ref name="underscrutiny" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Lobbying Probe Looks at Payments To DeLay's Wife|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115751113432354767 |last=Mullins|first=Brody|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=September 6, 2006}}</ref>

In August 2010, the government ended a six-year investigation of his ties to Abramoff, according to DeLay's lead counsel in the matter, Richard Cullen. A state case continued in Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2010/08/delay-knew-this-day-would-come-041104|title=DeLay 'knew this day would come'&nbsp;– Josh Gerstein and Mike Allen|date=August 16, 2010 |publisher=Politico|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>

==Political positions==

===Domestic policy===
On [[economic policy]], DeLay was rated 95 out of 100 by [[Americans for Tax Reform]], a conservative anti-tax group, and 95 to 100 by the [[United States Chamber of Commerce]], a pro-business lobby. He received the lowest possible score of 0% from the [[AFL–CIO]], the nation's largest organization of [[labor unions]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tom DeLay on Jobs |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Tom_DeLay_Jobs.htm |website=ontheissues.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611152034/http://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Tom_DeLay_Jobs.htm |archive-date=June 11, 2011 |language=en-us |date=March 11, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On environmental policy, he earned ratings of zero from the [[Sierra Club]] and [[League of Conservation Voters]]. He has been a fervent critic of the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]], which he has called the "[[Gestapo]] of government".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9512/congress_enviro|title=Year in Review: Congress vs. Environment|publisher=CNN|date=December 29, 1995|access-date=April 15, 2006|author=Bruce Burkhard|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509111012/http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9512/congress_enviro|archive-date=May 9, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the politics of guns, DeLay firmly came down on the side of gun owners rights, loosening gun control laws and opposing stricter controls. He received a grade of "A+" from the [[National Rifle Association of America]] (NRA), the nation's largest pro-gun rights lobby.<ref name="absolutetruth"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Tom DeLay on Gun Control |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Tom_DeLay_Gun_Control.htm |website=Ontheissues.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203160035/http://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Tom_DeLay_Gun_Control.htm |archive-date=February 3, 2009 |language=en-us |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[American Civil Liberties Union]] measured that his voting history aligned with their [[civil liberties]] platform 0% of the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://action.aclu.org/site/VoteCenter?page=congScorecard |title=National Freedom Scorecard |publisher=[[American Civil Liberties Union]] |access-date=April 15, 2006 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108174313/http://action.aclu.org/site/VoteCenter?page=congScorecard |archive-date=January 8, 2008}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}}

On the issue of immigration, DeLay received the highest possible score of 100% from the [[Federation for American Immigration Reform]] (FAIR), an organization that seeks to restrict immigration.<ref>Tom DeLay on Immigration, ontheissues.org; September 18, 2008; accessed June 20, 2010.</ref>

DeLay [[anti-abortion|opposed abortion rights]].<ref name="absolutetruth" /> In 2005, he voted 100% in line with the views of the [[National Right to Life Committee]] and 0% with the [[National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/choice-action-center/in-congress/congressional-record-on-choice/state.html?state=TX|title=Congressional Record on Choice by State|publisher=[[NARAL Pro-Choice America]]|year=2005|access-date=June 25, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614202130/http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/choice-action-center/in-congress/congressional-record-on-choice/state.html?state=TX|archive-date=June 14, 2006}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}}

DeLay opposes the teaching of [[evolution]]. After the [[Columbine High School massacre]] in 1999, he entered into the ''[[Congressional Record]]'' a statement saying that shootings happened in part "because our school systems teach our children that they are nothing but glorified apes who have evolutionized {{sic}} out of some primordial soup of mud."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gregory |first=Paul S. |author-link=Gregory S. Paul |year=2005 |title=Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popular Religiosity and Secularism in the Prosperous Democracies: A First Look |url=https://dspace.creighton.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10504/64409/2005-11.pdf?sequence=1 |format=PDF |journal=Journal of Religion & Society |location=Omaha, NE |publisher=[[Creighton University]]; Kripke Center |volume=7 |issn=1522-5658 |access-date=March 20, 2015}} DeLay read into the ''Congressional Record'' (June 16, 1999) material by [[Paul Harvey]]. Harvey's material was a letter to the editor of the ''[[San Angelo Standard-Times]]'' written by Addison Dawson, according to DeLay. See: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1999-06-16/html/CREC-1999-06-16-pt1-PgH4364-2.htm.</ref>

In 2001, DeLay refused to increase the [[Earned Income Credit]] (EIC) tax credit, thereby defying President George W. Bush, during the congressional battle over Bush's [[tax cut]]s for people making between $10,500 and $26,625 a year; when reporters asked DeLay about what he would do about increasing the EIC, DeLay simply stated, "[It] ain't going to happen." When Bush's press secretary [[Ari Fleischer]] reiterated the president's desire for a low-income tax cut, DeLay retorted, "The last time I checked they [the [[executive branch]]] don't have a vote."<ref>{{cite news|title=G.O.P. Leader Brushes Off Pressure by Bush on Taxes|work=The New York Times|page=1|date=June 11, 2003}}</ref>

In 2003, DeLay blamed Senate [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] and what he called "BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) [[environmentalism|environmentalists]]" for blocking legislative solutions to problems such as the [[2003 North America blackout]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030818-122326-3716r.htm|title=Feds investigate cause of blackout|work=[[The Washington Times]]|date=August 18, 2003|access-date=April 15, 2006|author=Hudson, Audrey}}</ref>

DeLay maintained public silence on Houston's 2003 [[METRORail]] [[light rail]] initiative, though in the past, he had opposed expanding light rail to Houston. Public filings later showed that DeLay had his [[Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee]] (ARMPAC) and his congressional campaign committee sent money to Texans for True Mobility, an organization that advocated against the initiative. The proposal passed by a slim margin.<ref>{{cite news|title=DeLay PACs funded efforts to defeat rail; $30,000 given to opposition group|page=1|work=[[The Houston Chronicle]]|date=March 24, 2004}}</ref> Despite his earlier opposition, following the passage of the initiative, DeLay helped to obtain funding for the light rail program.<ref>{{cite news|title=New transit plan is leaning more toward buses|publisher=The Houston Chronicle|date=June 13, 2005|page=1|author=Sallee, Rad}}</ref>

In 2004, the House Ethics Committee unanimously admonished DeLay for his actions related to a 2002 energy bill. A Committee memo stated that DeLay "created the appearance that donors were being provided with special access to Representative DeLay regarding the then-pending energy legislation."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.house.gov/ethics/DeLay_memo.htm|title=DeLay Memo|publisher=U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|access-date=April 22, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060421003606/http://www.house.gov/ethics/DeLay_memo.htm|archive-date=April 21, 2006}}</ref>

In 2005, DeLay, acting against the president's wishes, initiated the "safe harbor" provision for [[MTBE]] in the [[Energy Policy Act of 2005]], together with Rep. [[Joe Barton]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7574562|publisher=NBC News|title=House approves $12 billion energy package|date=April 21, 2005|access-date=April 15, 2006}}</ref>

DeLay supported the [[Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005]]. Critics of the legislation argued that it unduly favored creditors over consumers, noting that the [[credit card]] industry spent millions of dollars lobbying in support of the act. The bill passed Congress.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53688-2005Apr14.html|title=Bankruptcy Bill Passes; Bush Expected to Sign|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Day, Kathleen|date=April 15, 2005|access-date=April 24, 2006}}</ref>

====Terri Schiavo====
{{See also|Government involvement in the Terri Schiavo case}}
DeLay called the [[Terri Schiavo case]] "one of my proudest moments in Congress".<ref name="Party Unfaithful">Goldberg, Jeffrey [https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/06/04/070604fa_fact_goldberg?printable=true "Party Unfaithful"], ''The New Yorker'', June 4, 2007.</ref> DeLay made headlines for his role in helping lead federal intervention in the matter. On [[Palm Sunday]] weekend in March 2005, several days after the brain-damaged [[Florida]] woman's feeding tube was disconnected for the third time, the House met in emergency session to pass a bill allowing Schiavo's parents to petition a federal judge to review the removal of the feeding tube. DeLay called the removal of the feeding tube "an act of barbarism". DeLay faced accusations of hypocrisy from critics when the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' revealed that he had consented to ending [[life support]] for his father, who had been in a [[coma]]tose state because of a debilitating accident in 1988.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-27-na-delay27-story.html|title=DeLay's Own Tragic Crossroads|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 27, 2005|access-date=April 15, 2006|author1=Roche, Walter L. Jr.  |author2=Verhovek, Sam Howe |name-list-style=amp }}</ref>

DeLay was accused of endorsing violence in the wake of a series of high-profile violent crimes and death threats against judges when he said, "The men responsible [for Terri Schiavo's death] will have to answer to their behavior". DeLay's comments came soon after the February 28, 2005, homicide of the mother and husband of Chicago Judge [[Joan Lefkow]], and the March 11, 2005, killing of [[Atlanta]] Judge [[Rowland Barnes]]. DeLay's opponents accused him of rationalizing violence against judges when their decisions were unpopular with the public. [[Ralph Neas]], President of [[People for the American Way]], said that DeLay's comments were "irresponsible and could be seen by some as justifying inexcusable conduct against our courts".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26236-2005Apr4.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Senator Links Violence to 'Political' Decisions|author=Babington, Charles|date=April 5, 2005|access-date=April 15, 2006}}</ref>

===Foreign policy===
DeLay has been a strong supporter of the State of [[Israel]], saying, "The Republican leadership, especially that leadership in the House, has made pro-Israel policy a fundamental component of our foreign policy agenda and it drives the Democrat {{sic}} leadership crazy—because they just can't figure out why we do it!"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5822374|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531181643/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5822374/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 31, 2014|title=DeLay makes intense appeal for Jewish voters|work=NBC News|date=September 1, 2004|access-date=April 15, 2006|last=Curry|first=Tom}}</ref> In a 2002 speech, DeLay promised to "use every tool at my disposal to ensure that the Republican Conference, and the House of Representatives, continues to preserve and strengthen America's alliance with the State of Israel."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acpr.org.il/Israel's_friends/Tom_DeLay-nov2002.html |title=A Night to Honor Israel |publisher=Ariel Center for Policy Research|access-date=April 15, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051119052525/http://www.acpr.org.il/Israel%27s_friends/Tom_DeLay-nov2002.html |archive-date=November 19, 2005 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

On a 2003 trip to Israel, DeLay toured the nation and addressed members of the [[Knesset]]. His opposition to land concessions is so strong that [[Aryeh Eldad]], the deputy of Israel's conservative [[National Union (Israel)|National Union]] party, remarked, "As I shook his hand, I told Tom DeLay that until I heard him speak, I thought I was farthest to the right in the Knesset."<ref>{{cite news|title=House's DeLay Bonds With Israeli Hawks|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=A.5|date=July 31, 2003|last=Stack|first=Megan K.}}</ref> Former [[Mossad]] chief [[Danny Yatom]] said "The Likud is nothing compared to this guy."<ref>Dubose and Reid, p. 236</ref>

In 2005, in a snub to the Bush administration, DeLay was the "driving force behind the rejection of direct aid" to the [[Palestinian Authority]]. The deal had been brokered by the [[American Israel Public Affairs Committee]]. In the wake of the legislation, some [[Jewish]] leaders expressed concern "about the degree to which the Texas Republican, an evangelical Christian who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, will go to undercut American and Israeli attempts to achieve a [[two-state solution]]."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forward.com/articles/3097|title=House Sets Limits on Palestinian Aid As DeLay Defies Calls of Bush, Rice|publisher=[[The Forward]]|last=Nir|first=Ori|date=March 18, 2005|access-date=April 15, 2006}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+{{ushr|Texas|22|}}<br />Results 1984–2004<ref name="clerkresults">{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |title=Election Statistics |access-date=January 10, 2008 |publisher=Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730201058/http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |archive-date=July 30, 2008 }}</ref>
!Year
!
!Republican
!Votes
!Pct
!
!Democratic
!Votes
!Pct
!
!3rd party
!Votes
!Pct
!
!4th party
!Votes
!Pct
!
|-
|[[United States House of Representatives elections, 1984|1984]]
|
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Tom DeLay'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |125,225
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |66.4%
|
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[Doug Williams (United States politician)|Doug Williams]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |66,495
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |33.7%
|-
|[[United States House of Representatives elections, 1986|1986]]
|
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Tom DeLay'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |76,459
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |71.8%
|
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[Susan Director]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |30,079
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |28.2%
|-
|[[United States House of Representatives elections, 1988|1988]]
|
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Tom DeLay'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |125,733
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |67.2%
|
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Wayne Walker
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |58,471
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |31.3%
|
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} |George Harper
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |2,276
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |1.2%
|-
|[[United States House of Representatives elections, 1998|1998]]
|
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Tom DeLay'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |87,840
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |65.2%
|
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[Hill Kemp]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |45,386
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |33.7%
|
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} |[[Steve Grupe]]
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |1,494
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |1.1%
|-
|[[United States House of Representatives elections, 2000|2000]]
|
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Tom DeLay'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |66%
|
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[Hill Kemp]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |34%
|-
|[[United States House of Representatives elections, 2002|2002]]
|
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Tom DeLay'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |63.2%
|
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Tim Riley
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |35.0%
|
| {{Party shading/Green}} |Joel West
| {{Party shading/Green}} align="right" |
| {{Party shading/Green}} align="right" |0.8%
|
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} |[[Jerry LaFleur]]
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |1.0%
|-
|[[United States House of Representatives elections, 2004|2004]]
|
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Tom DeLay'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |150,386
| {{Party shading/Republican}} |55.2%
|
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[Richard R. Morrison]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |112,034
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} |41.1%
|
| {{Party shading/Independent}} |Michael Fjetland
| {{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |5,314
| {{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |1.948%
|
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} |Tom Morrison
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |4,886
| {{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |1.8%
|}

===Investigation of Texas fundraising===
{{Main|Tom DeLay campaign finance investigation}}

===2006 campaign===
{{Main|Texas 22nd congressional district election, 2006}}

==Life after Congress==
Since leaving Congress, along with tending to his legal troubles, DeLay has co-authored (with [[Stephen Mansfield]]) a political memoir, ''[[No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight]]'', given media interviews (primarily regarding politics), begun a personal [[blog]],<ref name="tomdelay.com">[http://www.tomdelay.com/meet-tom/ Meet tom DeLay] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20090821195453/http://www.tomdelay.com/meet-tom/ |date=August 21, 2009 }}, ''tomdelay.com''. Retrieved October 4, 2009.</ref> opened an official [[Facebook]] page (written in the [[Third-person narrative|third-person]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-DeLay/115203393502|title=Tom DeLay facebook page|publisher=Facebook.com|access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref> become active on [[Twitter]] (written in the [[First-person narrative|first-person]]),<ref>{{cite web|author=tomdelay|url=https://twitter.com/tomdelay|title=Tom DeLay twitter|publisher=Twitter.com|access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref> and appeared on the [[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 9)|ninth season of ''Dancing with the Stars'']], the highly watched [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC television]] [[reality TV|reality show]].

DeLay ascribes divine motivation to his political efforts since leaving Congress, telling an interviewer: "I listen to God, and what I've heard is that I'm supposed to devote myself to rebuilding the conservative [[base (politics)|base]] of the Republican Party, and I think we shouldn't be underestimated."<ref name="Party Unfaithful" />

DeLay's website concludes by saying that the former congressman and his wife "continue to be outspoken advocates for [[foster care]] reform and are actively involved in a unique foster care community in [[Richmond, Texas]], that provides safe, permanent homes for abused and neglected kids." Rio Bend, a "Christ-centered" community which the DeLays founded, opened in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.riobend.org|title=Rio Bend homepage|publisher=Riobend.org|access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref>

===Blog and book===
On December 10, 2006, DeLay launched a personal blog.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tomdelay.com/|title=Tom DeLay homepage|publisher=Tomdelay.com|access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref> After joining [[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)|''Dancing with the Stars'']] in August 2008, DeLay scrubbed his personal website of most of its political content and rebranded it as "Dancing with DeLay."<ref name="latimes.com">Gold, Matea [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-delay18-2009aug18,0,1589099.story "Tom DeLay joins 'Dancing with the Stars' cast"]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' August 18, 2009.</ref>

In March 2007, DeLay published ''[[No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight]]'', co-authored with [[Stephen Mansfield]]. The book's foreword is by [[Rush Limbaugh]]; the preface, by [[Sean Hannity]]. The book contains controversial claims, including DeLay's assertion as fact the claim that the [[Clinton Administration]] had sought to have military uniforms banned from the [[White House]], which has been repeatedly proven false.<ref>{{cite web|last=Noah|first=Timothy|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2162672/nav/tap2|title=DeLay's Hillary Smear, The Hammer revives an urban myth|work=Slate Magazine |publisher=Slate|accessdate=March 26, 2007}}</ref>

===''Dancing with the Stars''===
DeLay was a participant on the [[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 9)|ninth season of ''Dancing with the Stars'']], a [[reality-TV]] dance competition show in which celebrities such as DeLay are paired with professional dancers. DeLay's dance partner-instructor was [[Cheryl Burke]], a two-time champion on the highly watched [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC television]] show. DeLay is the second former politician to compete on the show, following the former [[List of Mayors of Cincinnati, Ohio|mayor of Cincinnati]] (1977–78), [[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 3)|season three]]'s [[Jerry Springer]], better known as host of the tabloid television talk show ''[[The Jerry Springer Show]]''.<ref>Dobuzinskis, Alex. [https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=8347134 "Former Politician Tom DeLay Cast in 'Dancing' Show"]. ABC News. Retrieved September 2, 2014.</ref>

===Discussion of "birther" conspiracy theory===
{{See also|Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories}}
On August 19, 2009, DeLay, making the rounds of various media shows in order to promote his upcoming participation in season nine of ''Dancing with the Stars'', was interviewed by [[Chris Matthews]] of ''[[Hardball with Chris Matthews|Hardball]]'', a political news and talk show on [[MSNBC]]. DeLay made political news,<ref name=Huff/><ref name="images.salon.com" /> when, during the interview, he became the most famous Republican yet to give voice to the so-called [[birther]] [[conspiracy theory]] about President [[Barack Obama]]. During his appearance on ''Hardball'', when pressed by Matthews as to whether he supported the conspiracy theory and its adherents and proponents, including several Republican members of Congress, DeLay said, "I would like the president to produce his [[birth certificate]].... I can, most [[illegal aliens]] here in America can. Why can't the [[president of the United States]] produce a birth certificate?... Chris, the [[Constitution of the United States]] specifically says you have to be a '[[natural-born citizen]]' [to be eligible to serve as president]."<ref name=Huff>Weiner, Rachel. [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/19/tom-delay-joins-the-birth_n_263532.html "Tom DeLay joins the birthers"]. ''Huffington Post''. August 19, 2009.</ref><ref name="images.salon.com">Koppelman, Alex. "Tom DeLay&nbsp;– Birther", [http://images.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/08/20/delay_birther/index.html salon.com]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; accessed September 2, 2014.</ref>

== Personal life ==
DeLay married Christine Furrh, whom he had known since high school, in 1967. In 1972, the DeLays had a daughter, Danielle, who became a public school math teacher. Christine DeLay died on April 27, 2024.<ref name=Christine-obit>{{cite web|accessdate=June 21, 2025 |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/christine-delay-obituary?id=55011735|title=Christine DeLay Obituary
|publisher=Legacy Remembers|date=May 1, 2024}}
</ref>

During his time in the [[Texas Legislature]], DeLay struggled with [[alcoholism]] and gained a reputation as a [[playboy (lifestyle)|playboy]], earning the nickname "[[Hot Tub]] Tom". By the time of his election to Congress in 1984, he was drinking "eight, ten, twelve martinis a night at receptions and fundraisers."<ref name="absolutetruth"/> In 1985, DeLay became a [[Born again Christianity|born-again Christian]], and gave up hard liquor. Of the Rev. Ken Wilde, an [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] minister from [[Idaho]] who founded the National Prayer Center in Washington, D.C., which houses volunteers who come to the capital to pray for the nation's leaders, DeLay said, "This is the man who really saved me. When I was going through my troubles, it was Ken who really stepped up." Of his conversion, he said, "I had put my needs first ... I was on the throne, not God. I had pushed God from His throne."<ref name="Party Unfaithful" />

In criticizing [[Newt Gingrich]] for secretly having an affair with a staffer while Gingrich, as [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]], was simultaneously [[Clinton impeachment|impeaching President Bill Clinton]] for lying under oath about his affair with [[Monica Lewinsky|White House intern Monica Lewinsky]], DeLay said, "I don't think that Newt could set a high moral standard, a high moral tone, during that moment.... You can't do that if you're keeping secrets about your own adulterous affairs".<ref name="Party Unfaithful" />

Differentiating between Gingrich's [[adultery]] and his own admitted adultery, DeLay said, "I was no longer committing adultery by that time, the impeachment trial. There's a big difference. ... I had returned to Christ and repented my sins by that time."<ref name="Party Unfaithful" />

DeLay declined to comment on a 1999 report in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' that he was estranged from much of his family, including his mother and one of his brothers.<ref>Henneberger, Melinda [http://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/062199delay-profile.html "Tom DeLay Holds No Gavel, But a Firm Grip on the Reins"].[[The New York Times]]. June 21, 1999.</ref> As of 2001, he had not spoken to his younger brother, Randy, a [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] lobbyist, since 1996, when a complaint to the [[U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|House Ethics Committee]] prompted DeLay to state that he had cut his brother off in order to avoid the appearance of a [[conflict of interest]].<ref name="absolutetruth"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas|Biography|Politics}}
*[[List of federal political scandals in the United States]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Tom DeLay}}
{{CongLinks|congbio=D000217}}
* {{C-SPAN|3186}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Mayer|first=Jane|author-link=Jane Mayer|date=May 24, 1999|title=The Exterminator|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/05/24/the-exterminator|department=The Political Scene|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|volume=75|issue=12|pages=32–41|access-date=September 23, 2018}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ron Paul]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States Representatives from Texas|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Texas's 22nd congressional district]]|years=1985–2006}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Shelley Sekula-Gibbs]]}}
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{{s-aft|after=[[Roy Blunt]]}}
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{{s-aft|after=[[Dan Burton]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Delay, Tom}}
[[Category:Tom DeLay|*]]
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:20th-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Texas Legislature]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:21st-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:American bloggers]]
[[Category:American Christian Zionists]]
[[Category:American Evangelical writers]]
[[Category:American male bloggers]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:American religious writers]]
[[Category:Calallen High School alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Majority leaders of the United States House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the United States Congress who became lobbyists]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]
[[Category:People from Laredo, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Sugar Land, Texas]]
[[Category:Republican Party members of the Texas House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Republican Party United States representatives from Texas]]
[[Category:Texas politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Texas Republicans]]
[[Category:University of Houston alumni]]