- In full:
- Thomas Dale DeLay
- Born:
- April 8, 1947, Laredo, Texas, U.S. (age 79)
- Title / Office:
- House of Representatives (1985-2006), United States
- Political Affiliation:
- Republican Party
Tom DeLay
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Who is Tom DeLay?
Tom DeLay, born on April 8, 1947, in Laredo, Texas, is an American Republican politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for Texas from 1985 to 2006, holding positions such as majority whip (1995–2003) and majority leader (2003–06).
DeLay gained the nickname "The Hammer" for his persistence and ability to enforce party discipline. He supported the Contract with America and led efforts to impeach Bill Clinton.
However, DeLay's career was marred by ethical concerns. In 2005, he faced indictments in Texas for conspiracy to violate election laws related to a 2002 campaign fund-raising scheme and money laundering. While he stepped down from his leadership post in January 2006 and resigned from the House in June 2006, he maintained his innocence. Though initially found guilty of money laundering in 2010, a Texas court overturned the conviction in 2013.
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What political party did Tom DeLay belong to?
Tom DeLay is an American Republican politician who served as a representative from Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 2006. He was the House majority whip from 1995 to 2003, then House majority leader from 2003 until he resigned in 2006 amidst corruption charges. In 1994, when the Republican Party took control of the House of Representatives, DeLay became majority whip, and Newt Gingrich became speaker of the House. DeLay was a supporter of the Contract with America and a vocal detractor of the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Which state did Tom DeLay represent in Congress?
Tom DeLay, born in Laredo, Texas, represented the state of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 2006. Rising through Republican leadership, he became known as "The Hammer" for his ability to enforce party discipline. DeLay served as majority whip and leader but resigned in 2006 amidst corruption charges related to campaign fund-raising. Despite initial conviction on money laundering charges, he was later acquitted in 2013.
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What position did Tom DeLay hold in the U.S. House of Representatives?
Tom DeLay served as a U.S. Representative for Texas from 1985 to 2006. Within the House, he held the position of majority whip from 1995 to 2003 and then majority leader from 2003 until he resigned in June 2006 amidst corruption charges.
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Why was Tom DeLay called “The Hammer” in politics?
Tom DeLay, a Republican politician, served as a U.S. Representative for Texas from 1985 to 2006, eventually rising to the position of House majority leader. DeLay earned the nickname "The Hammer" because of his persistence and ability to enforce party discipline among fellow Republicans, often using threats to bring them into line.
A strong supporter of the Contract with America, DeLay was also a vocal critic of the Environmental Protection Agency. Allegations of conflicts of interest and campaign fund-raising improprieties plagued him, leading to a House Ethics Committee warning in 2004. Facing indictments, DeLay stepped down from his leadership post in January 2006 and resigned from the House in June of the same year.
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What controversies or legal troubles did Tom DeLay face during his career?
Tom DeLay, a Republican politician, served as a U.S. Representative for Texas from 1985 to 2006, becoming House majority leader. Throughout his career, DeLay faced frequent accusations from House Democrats regarding alleged conflicts of interest related to campaign fund-raising and his connections with lobbyists.
In 2004, the House Ethics Committee cautioned DeLay to ensure his fund-raising and election activities were appropriate. In 2005, a Texas grand jury indicted him for conspiracy to violate state election laws in a 2002 campaign fund-raising scheme, and he was later indicted on money laundering charges. Though he denied any criminal wrongdoing, DeLay stepped down as majority leader in January 2006 and resigned from the House in June 2006. After being found guilty of money laundering and conspiracy in 2010, a Texas court overturned the conviction in 2013, and he was formally acquitted.
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Tom DeLay (born April 8, 1947, Laredo, Texas, U.S.) is an American Republican politician who served as a representative from Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives (1985–2006). He served as majority whip (1995–2003) and majority leader (2003–06) but resigned from the House in June 2006 in the face of corruption charges.
DeLay spent a good deal of his childhood in Venezuela because of his father’s career in the oil and gas industry. He attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, before earning a biology degree from the University of Houston (1970). He owned and operated an insect-exterminating business before winning election to the Texas State House of Representatives in 1978. He remained in office until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984.
In the House, DeLay rose swiftly through the ranks of the Republican leadership, earning the nickname “The Hammer” for his persistence and for his ability to bring fellow Republicans into line through the use of threats. In 1994 the Republican Party ousted the Democrats from power in the House of Representatives for the first time in four decades. DeLay subsequently was elected majority whip, at the same time that Rep. Newt Gingrich became speaker of the House. DeLay was a strong supporter of the Contract with America, a Republican-initiated legislative agenda that included tax cuts and a balanced budget. A vocal detractor of the Environmental Protection Agency, he was roundly criticized by Democrats for supporting a proposal to repeal air-quality regulations enacted in 1990 by amendments to the Clean Air Act. In 1998 he sharply criticized Democratic Pres. Bill Clinton for apologizing for America’s role in the slave trade; DeLay said it was not right for a president to “attack” his country in such a way. Later that year DeLay helped to lead the successful Republican effort to impeach Clinton.
Beginning in the mid-1990s, DeLay was frequently impugned by House Democrats for alleged conflicts of interest involving campaign fund-raising and his relationship with lobbyists. In 2004, while he was serving as majority leader, the House Ethics Committee issued a stern warning to DeLay to conduct his fund-raising and election dealings appropriately. His political career was dealt a sharp blow in 2005, when a Texas grand jury indicted him on charges of conspiracy to violate state election laws in a 2002 campaign fund-raising scheme. He was later indicted on charges of money laundering. Although the conspiracy charges were subsequently dropped, the money-laundering charges were not. In January 2006 DeLay stepped down from his post as majority leader, and in June of that year he resigned from the House. He subsequently wrote, with Stephen Mansfield, No Retreat, No Surrender: One American’s Fight (2007), in which he passionately denied any criminal wrongdoing. After a three-week trial in 2010, DeLay was found guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced to three years in prison but was granted bail pending his appeal. In 2013 a Texas court overturned the conviction and formally acquitted DeLay.