DeLay sentenced to three years in prison

Former House majority leader Tom DeLay was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a money-laundering case stemming from the 2002 elections.

DeLay, once one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress, was convicted in November for illegally funneling $190,000 in corporate money through the Republican National Committee to help elect Republicans to the Texas Legislature during the 2002 elections.

Texas judge Pat Priest sentenced DeLay to three years on a conspiracy charge and also sentenced him to five years in prison for money laundering. Priest, however, allowed DeLay to accept 10 years probation on the money laundering charge, assuming he meets certain conditions set by the court.

DeLay could have received up to life in prison on the money laundering and conspiracy charges.

The former Houston area congressman, known as “The Hammer,” was unrepentant today in court. “I fought the fight. I ran the race. I kept the faith,” he said, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Former House speaker Dennis Hastert, DeLay’s former boss, attested to the character of his top lieutenant. DeLay left Congress in 2006 and served in the House’s No. 2 job from 2003 to 2005.

DeLay was found guilty in November for illegally funneling $190,000 in corporate money through the Republican National Committee to help elect Republicans to the Texas Legislature during the 2002 elections.

DeLay, 63, maintained his innocence even after he was convicted last year, arguing a “miscarriage of justice” and denouncing what he called “the criminalization of politics.”

Matt Angle, a former congressional aide who heads up the Lone Star Project, said DeLay’s legacy will live on in Texas no matter how much time prison time the Republican serves.

“There is little reason to feel comfort in justice being served to Tom DeLay today,” said Angle, an aide to former congressman Martin Frost, a Texas Democrat. “His corrupt, partisan legacy lives on in Austin and is being practiced enthusiastically by the Republicans currently control in Texas.”

Prominent Christian Zionist

Tom Tom DeLay is one of the Prominent American Christian Zionists .

Other Prominent American Christian Zionists include Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, William Blackstone and Alan Keyes …

The Zionist Christians are those ( Christians) that believe that the return of Jews to the State of Israel (Holy Land) in 1948 is in accordance with the bible’s prophecy.

Some of the Zionist Christians believe that the gathering of Jews in Israel is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus.

Many Zionists believe that for the Second Coming or the End of Days to occur it is necessary that Jews be converted to Christianity. However, a few prominent Zionists do not believe this is so.

In United States politics, Christian Zionists are strong supporters of Israel.

The government of Israel has given official encouragement to Christian Zionism, allowing the establishment in 1980 of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. The main function of the embassy is to enlist worldwide Christian support for Israel. The embassy has raised funds to help finance Jewish immigration to Israel from the former Soviet Union, and has assisted Zionist groups in establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Agencies