AUSTIN – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused Wednesday to reinstate a dropped conspiracy charge against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Travis County prosecutor Ronnie Earle charged DeLay and two associates with conspiracy to violate the state's election code in connection with corporate funds used in 2002 state legislative elections.
A state district judge threw out that conspiracy charge after defense lawyers argued conspiracy couldn't be applied to the Texas Election Code as written before 2003. A regional appeals court upheld the judge's decision.
Prosecutors then went to the state's highest criminal appeals court.
DeLay, who resigned from office last year, still faces a money laundering charge in the case.
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