[JURIST] Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle [official website; personal website], the Texas prosecutor in the criminal case against US Rep. Tom DeLay [official website], has said that DeLay's resignation from Congress [JURIST report] will not affect the case. DeLay currently faces money laundering charges [JURIST document] and a request [JURIST report] to have criminal conspiracy charges [JURIST document] against DeLay reinstated is pending before the Texas Third Court of Appeals [official website]. In a statement Tuesday, Earle said that DeLay's "political status has nothing to do with the criminal charges against him" and that "His criminal cases will proceed just as they would for any other defendant."

DeLay announced his intention to resign from Congress [press release] Tuesday and in an interview [transcript] with Fox News repeated his assertions that the charges against him are politically motivated [JURIST report]. AP has more.

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