Delay will face trial

Via the Associated Press:

A judge dismissed a conspiracy charge today against Rep. Tom DeLay but refused to throw out the far more serious allegations of money-laundering, dashing the congressman's hopes for now of reclaiming his post as House majority leader.

Texas Judge Pat Priest, who is presiding over the case against the Republican, issued the ruling after a hearing late last month in which DeLay's attorney argued that the indictment was fatally flawed.

[...]

The judge upheld charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Those charges involve an alleged attempt by DeLay to conceal the source of the campaign contributions by funneling the money through his own political action committee and then an arm of the Republican National Committee.

Delay's legal defense team, of course, are still attempting to execute a few tricks: they hope to get the case thrown out by accusing prosecutors of misconduct in their handling of the grand juries that indicted them. Still, today's developments are bad news for Delay. No vindication in sight.