Feds Clear Tom DeLay

Tom DeLay is probably doing a little dance right now. The Justice Department has informed DeLay that it has ended its six-year investigation into his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and won’t be filing any charges. “This was one of the longest and expensive and thorough investigations in recent memory,” DeLay’s lead counsel complained to Politico, though he admitted the government had “played fair.”

”I’m sure he wishes it didn’t take six years of his life, with a cloud hanging over him,” the lawyer continued, but added that he was “pleased with the outcome.” But the ex-House Majority Leader isn’t out of the woods yet; there’s still a state case against him in Texas, with a trial expected in the spring. (More Tom DeLay stories.)