DeLay, in a nutshell

The NY Times very helpfully printed out the House ethics rules today, along with more on DeLay's latest Abramoff bombshells. (It's a carpet-bombing, at this point.)

Let's just put two and two together, and agree that it makes four:

The Washington Post reported on Sunday that it had obtained travel receipts showing that [lobbyist Jack] Abramoff's personal credit card had been used to pay $6,938 for Mr. DeLay's airfare to and from Britain, suggesting a possible violation of House ethics rules, which bar lobbyists from paying for a lawmaker's travels. It had been previously disclosed that Mr. Abramoff had paid part of Mr. DeLay's hotel bill. Mr. DeLay's lawyer denied impropriety.

And now for the rule:

A member, officer or employee may accept necessary expenses from a private source for travel in connection with official duties - including, for example, to give a speech or engage in fact-finding - subject to the following restrictions.

¶ The source of the travel expenses may not be either a registered lobbyist or a registered foreign agent, and the source must have a direct and immediate relationship with the event or location being visited.

The prosecution rests, Your Honor.