DeLay resigns as criminal investigations take their toll

TOM DeLAY, once one of the most powerful and feared conservatives in the US Congress, yesterday said he was resigning from the House of Representatives in the wake of two criminal investigations that have dimmed his re-election prospects.

“I think I could have won this seat but it would have been nasty,” Mr DeLay said in an interview with Fox News, “It would have cost a fortune to do it.”

Mr DeLay, known for his fundraising prowess and a bare-knuckled political style, which earned him the nickname The Hammer, was a key force in advancing the conservative agenda of fellow Texan President George W Bush.