FortBendNow.com

A three-judge appeals court panel will hear oral arguments March 22 on whether a conspiracy charge against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, should be reinstated.

District Judge Pat Priest threw out one criminal conspiracy account against DeLay and associates John Colyandro and James Ellis in December, and narrowed the scope of a second conspiracy charge.

The three men were indicted last fall in Travis County, accused of channeling money from corporate donors to Republican candidates for the Texas House in 2000, in violation of Texas election laws. In addition to the conspiracy charges, they also face a count of money laundering.

DeLay, now campaigning for re-election to the 22nd Congressional District, has said the charges are baseless and represent a political attack by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earl.

Colyandro is former executive director of Texans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee DeLay founded. Ellis is a political consultant who has been identified as DeLay’s chief fund raiser.

Earl’s office appealed Judge Priest’s decision to throw out the conspiracy count, to the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, which notified lawyers in the case late last week that a hearing has been set for March 22.