Tom DeLay

Tom DeLay
House Majority Leader
In office January 3, 2003 – September 28, 2005
Speaker	Dennis Hastert
Preceded by	Dick Armey
Succeeded by	Roy Blunt (acting)
House Majority Whip
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003
Speaker	Newt Gingrich (1995–1999) Dennis Hastert (1999–2003)
Preceded by	David Bonior
Succeeded by	Roy Blunt
Secretary of the House Republican Conference
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Leader	Bob Michel
Preceded by	Vin Weber
Succeeded by	Barbara Vucanovich
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 22nd district
In office January 3, 1985 – June 9, 2006
Preceded by	Ron Paul
Succeeded by	Shelley Sekula-Gibbs
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
In office January 9, 1979 – January 8, 1985
Preceded by	Joe A. Hubenak
Succeeded by	Jim Tallas
Constituency	21st district (1979–1983) 26th district (1983–1985)
Personal details
Born	Thomas Dale DeLay (1947-04-08) April 8, 1947 (age 77) Laredo, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Christine Furrh
Children	1
Residence(s)	Sugar Land, Texas, U.S.
Education	University of Houston (BS)
Profession	Politician
Tom DeLay's voice Tom DeLay explains the American Careers Initiative, a major series of House votes over the coming weeks Recorded May 11, 2004

Thomas Dale DeLay (/dəˈleɪ/; born April 8, 1947) is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. A Republican, DeLay represented Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006. He served as House majority leader from 2003 to 2005.

DeLay began his political career in 1978 when he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984. In 1988, DeLay was appointed deputy minority whip. In 1994, he helped Newt Gingrich orchestrate the Republican Revolution, which swept Democrats from power in both houses of Congress and put Republicans in control of the House of Representatives for the first time in forty years. In 1995, DeLay was elected House majority whip. With the Republicans in control of both chambers in Congress, DeLay and conservative activist Grover Norquist helped start the K Street Project in an effort to advance Republican ideals. DeLay was elected House majority leader after the 2002 midterm elections. He was known as a staunch conservative during his years in Congress.

In 2005, a Travis County grand jury indicted DeLay on criminal charges of conspiracy to violate election law by campaign money laundering. DeLay temporarily resigned from his position as House majority leader and later announced that he would not seek to return. He resigned his seat in Congress in June 2006. DeLay was convicted in January 2011 and sentenced to three years in prison, but was free on bail while appealing his conviction. The trial court's judgment was overturned by the Austin Court of Appeals, a Texas intermediate appellate court, on September 19, 2013; the Court of Appeals ruled that "the evidence in the case was 'legally insufficient to sustain DeLay's convictions'" and acquitted DeLay. The acquittal was upheld on appeal.

After leaving Congress, DeLay co-authored a political memoir entitled No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight. He also founded First Principles, LLC, a lobbying firm.