A Texas jury has convicted former House majority leader Tom DeLay, once one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress, on money laundering and conspiracy charges.

DeLay, a former No. 2 House GOP leader, faces five to 99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 on the money laundering charge.

He appeared shocked, according to the Austin American-Statesman, when jurors reported their findings one by one. Sentencing is set for Dec. 20.

The lawmaker known as "The Hammer" was indicted in 2005 on charges that he illegally sent $190,000 in corporate money through the Republican National Committee to help elect Republicans to the Texas Legislature during the 2002 election cycle.

The legal case in Texas caused DeLay, majority leader from 2003 to 2005, to leave Congress in 2006.

The former exterminator was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from a suburban Houston district in 1984. He rose to power as a leader of the 1994 Republican Revolution, which saw the party take control of the House for the first time four decades. DeLay earned his nickname, "The Hammer," for his hard-charging style and way of convincing donors to give to the GOP.

Although DeLay had won his GOP primary in 2006, there were signs that he was in a tough fight for another term because of his legal woes.

Under Texas election law, corporations are barred from contributing directly or directly to candidates running for office. Prosecutors alleged that DeLay was engaged in a conspiracy to launder money as well as money laundering.

DeLay, 63, had maintained his innocence throughout the three-week trial. The jury began deliberating on Monday and took 19 hours to reach its verdict.

Early in its deliberations, the jury appeared to question the charges. It had sent a note to state district Judge Pat Priest: "Can it constitute money laundering if the money wasn't procured by illegal means?"

Over the summer, DeLay said a separate, long-running federal criminal investigation in Washington of his ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff had been closed with no charges. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the federal investigation.

Abramoff pleaded guilty in 2006 to defrauding clients, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials. He served 3 1/2 years of his six-year sentence.

(Posted by Catalina Camia)