Tom Delay, the former U.S. House Majority Leader, won an appeal in a Texas court to overturn his money laundering conviction citing a lack of sufficient evidence, and has been acquitted him of all charges,The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The Associated Press reported that Delay was at a Washington prayer meeting when he learned of the decision.
"We were all basically on our knees praying and our lawyer calls and says, 'Your a free man,' he said at the Capitol, adding that he was "very happy" about the decision.
In November 2010 a Texas jury convicted Delay for illegally funelling $190,000 in corporate money, via the Republican National Committee to help elect other Reublicans to the Texas Legislature in 2002. The RNC sent checks to Texas House candidates. (State law prohibts corporations from giving directly to political candiates and to their campaigns).
Delay had resigned as House Majority Leader in 2006.
Delay was sentenced to three years in prison, but remained free while appealing his case, news reports said.
The prosecuting team remains "concerned and disappointeed" that two judges " substituted their assessment of the facts for that of 12 jurors who personally heard the testimony of over 40 witnesses over the course of several weeks and found that the evidence was sufficient and proved DeLay's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg's office said in a statement.
DeLay has said that now a free man, he will "probably not" seek a return to elected office, adding that "There's too much other things that the Lord wants me to do." Tom Delay appeared with Cheryl Burke on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in 2009.
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