Tom DeLay Fast Facts

Here’s a look at the life of former Texas Congressman Tom DeLay.

Personal

Birth date: April 8, 1947

Birth place: Laredo, Texas

Birth name: Thomas Dale DeLay

Father: Charles Ray DeLay

Mother: Maxine (Wimbish) DeLay

Marriage: Christine (Furrh) DeLay (1967-present)

Children: Danielle

Education: Attended Baylor University, 1965-1967; University of Houston, B.S., 1970

Other Facts

Nicknamed “The Hammer.”

Lived in Venezuela as a child.

Owned a pest control company before getting involved in politics.

Timeline

1979-1984 – Member of the Texas House of Representatives.

1984-2006 – United States Representative for the 22nd District of Texas.

November 13, 2002-September 28, 2005 – House Majority Leader.

September 28, 2005 – Steps down as the House majority leader after a Texas grand jury indicts him on a conspiracy charge stemming from a campaign finance investigation. DeLay is accused of improperly steering corporate donations to Republican candidates for the Texas legislature.

October 3, 2005 – A second indictment is brought against DeLay, charging him with money laundering.

October 19, 2005 – An arrest warrant is issued for DeLay in connection with his indictment for conspiracy and money laundering. He turns himself in the next day.

December 5, 2005 – A judge dismisses the conspiracy charge against DeLay, but upholds the money laundering charges.

January 7, 2006 – Announces he will not try to reclaim the House majority leader post, but he will seek reelection when his term expires in November.

March 7, 2006 – Wins the primary election in his Texas district.

April 4, 2006 – Announces he is dropping his bid for reelection and will resign from Congress in June.

June 8, 2006 – Delivers his farewell address to Congress.

2007 – His memoir, “No Retreat, No Surrender: One American’s Fight,” is published.

2009 – Competes in the ninth season of “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC. He drops out due to stress fractures in both feet.

November 1, 2010 – Money laundering trial begins.

November 24, 2010 – Is convicted of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

January 10, 2011 – Is sentenced to three years in prison for the conspiracy charge and five years for the money laundering charge. But, the judge will allow DeLay to serve 10 years probation with community service on the laundering charge in lieu of the prison sentence, and the two sentences will be served concurrently. DeLay remains free on bond while he appeals his conviction.

2012 – Founds the First Principles PAC.

July 2012 – Registers as a lobbyist on sex-trafficking issues.

September 19, 2013 – Delay’s conviction on money laundering charges is overturned by a court in Texas. The court opinion says that “the evidence was legally insufficient to sustain DeLay’s convictions.”

March 19, 2014 – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agrees to hear the case.

October 1, 2014 – By a vote of 8-1, Texas’s criminal appeals court upholds the lower court’s ruling to throw out DeLay’s 2010 convictions of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.