THE US: Former Republican House leader Tom DeLay has appeared in a Texas court to face charges of conspiracy and money laundering. The appearance lasted just four minutes because Mr DeLay's lawyer demanded that the judge hearing the case should step aside.
Dick De Guerin said judge Bob Perkins had made donations to MoveOn.org, a Democratic organisation he claimed was "selling T-shirts with Mr DeLay's mug shot on it".
The judge said he had not given money to the group since last year's presidential election and denied any knowledge of the T-shirts. "Let me just say I haven't ever seen that T-shirt, number one. Number two, I haven't bought it. Number three, the last time I contributed to MoveOn that I know of was prior to the November election last year, when they were primarily helping Senator Kerry," he said.
MoveOn.org said it had not sold any such T-shirt and prosecutor Ronnie Earle said he would contest the request for a new judge.
"What this means is if a judge had contributed to Crime Stoppers that judge could not hear a burglary case. Carried to its extreme, that is what I think this motion means, and I think that's absurd. We don't live in a country where political party determines the measure of justice," he said.
Outside the courtroom, Mr DeLay accused Mr Earle of pursuing a politically motivated campaign against him.
"I will not let a prosecutor who pursues his political enemies by abusing the law and manufacturing baseless charges wreck our justice system . . . I have been charged with defeating Democrats. I have been charged with advancing the Republican agenda," he said.
Mr DeLay's court appearance came as tension rises in Washington, in anticipation of criminal charges against senior White House staff in connection with the leaking of a CIA agent's identity. Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is expected to wrap up his investigation next week.
President George W Bush's top political advisor, Karl Rove, and Vice-President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, are among those who could face charges.
The New York Times reported yesterday that Mr Fitzgerald is considering charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and false statement, suggesting that his investigation is focusing on efforts to cover up the role of the White House in leaking Valerie Plame's name.
Ms Plame's husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, embarrassed the Bush administration by debunking its claim that Saddam Hussein was trying to import nuclear materials from Niger before the Iraq war.