Judge named to hear DeLay case

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- A Democratic judge from San Antonio was named Thursday to hear the conspiracy case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson assigned the case to District Judge Pat Priest, despite concerns that Jefferson had too many ties to DeLay's political committee to be impartial, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Jefferson shared the same campaign treasurer and consultant as DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority, the newspaper said. He received a $25,000 campaign donation from the same wing of the Republican National Committee that figures in the charges against DeLay and his co-defendants.

DeLay is charged with laundering funds in a scheme to get around a Texas law prohibiting corporate campaign contributions in state campaigns.

The first judge assigned to hear the case, District Judge Bob Perkins, was removed because of campaign contributions he had made to Democratic candidates and causes. Judge B.B. Schraub was supposed to name Perkins' replacement Thursday, but Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle filed a motion that forced Schraub to withdraw because of his political donations to Republicans.

Schraub then asked Jefferson to name a trial judge for DeLay, the former U.S. House majority leader.