Transcript: Rep. DeLay Press Conference

WASHINGTON – The following is a transcript by Rep. Tom DeLay (search), R-Texas, outside the Texas state capitol after he made his first court appearance on an arraignment hearing Friday.

REP. TOM DELAY, R-TEXAS: You may be surprised to hear this from me today, but I find this is a very good day. For the first time in over three years, I was provided the opportunity to go before a court and refute these baseless charges that are the result of a political vendetta being acted out by Ronnie Earle (search).

Now, unfortunately for Ronnie Earle, the facts and the law are on my side. The only reason I had to be in that courtroom today was because Ronnie Earle has abused his prosecutorial power and he's pursued these contrived and baseless charges.

Because of actions that I took through the democratic process to rid this very legislature of years of unfair gerrymandering by Texas Democrats, I became a target for Ronnie Earle. Because I was successful in exercising my right to be involved in a political process that elected more Republicans, I became a target of Ronnie Earle.

And because Ronnie Earle and the Democrat Party could not beat me at the ballot box and could not beat me on the floor of the House of Representatives, they are now desperately trying to challenge me in a courtroom.

In short, I have been charged for defeating Democrats, I have been charged for advocating constitutional representation, and I have been charged for advancing the Republican agenda.

Ronnie Earle and the Democrat campaign behind him will be unsuccessful.I will fight this prosecutor's abuse of the legal system, and I will be absolutely exonerated. I will not — I will not — let a prosecutor who pursues his political enemies by abusing the law and manufacturing baseless charges wreck our justice system.

Grand jury shopping and make-the-law-up-as-you-go injustice by the district attorney will not rule the day. The facts and the law will rule the day.

A fair trial with an impartial jury will look at the facts. And they will understand that, without a doubt, I committed no wrongdoing whatsoever.

I look forward to presenting those facts and putting my faith in the law and order to welcome my inevitable exoneration.

Thank you once again for this opportunity to talk to you all. And have a nice day.