Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay says he can relate to the fallout of an indictment that now dogs Rick Perry as the ex-Texas governor mulls a GOP presidential bid.
DeLay told a legal seminar Saturday in Houston that Perry may downplay the effect of a felony abuse of power indictment in Travis County. But DeLay says his experience shows an indictment has political legs, makes people shy away and influences financial donors.
DeLay a decade ago was also indicted in Travis County on money laundering charges related to his efforts to redraw congressional district lines in Texas. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2014 upheld a lower court's decision to overturn DeLay's conviction.
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