AUSTIN, Texas — Just days after U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay won a fight to get a new judge in his case, prosecutors on Thursday sought the ouster of a Republican jurist responsible for selecting the new judge. The legal wrangling comes as administrative Judge B.B. Schraub was expected to name a new judge for DeLay's money laundering and conspiracy case, possibly as early as Friday. State district Judge Bob Perkins, a Democrat, was removed from DeLay's case Tuesday after DeLay's legal team cast doubt on Perkins' ability to judge the case fairly because of his multiple contributions to Democrats.
Prosecutors said in their motion filed Thursday that Schraub has made several contributions to Republican candidates, including to Gov. Rick Perry, a DeLay ally, which calls into question Schraub's impartiality in the case. Prosecutors said Schraub should either recuse himself or appoint another judge to take his place. | "How are we supposed to hang Delay if we can't git our own judge? By the evidence?" |
DeLay, 58, and two associates have been accused of funneling corporate donations going to a DeLay-founded political committee in Texas to the Republican National Committee, which sent the money back to GOP legislative candidates in Texas. Texas law forbids the direct use of corporate money for campaigning. |