DeLay: Tells NPR, ``Abramoff has nothing to do with me.''

Interesting DeLay interview with NPR…excerpts below…

Tom DeLay Interviewed on Todays Morning Edition? from NPR

Morning Edition, April 4, 2006 Former Republican House majority leader Tom DeLay announces he is resigning from Congress by June. After his decision became public, NPR News reporter Andrea Seabrook spoke to him by phone and asked him whether he was backing away from a fight.

The interview is listed on NPRs home page at www.npr.org and here is a direct link to the web page which includes the audio from the Morning Edition? segment as well as Andrea Seabrooks complete 6 minute interview with Mr. DeLay: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5322295

A transcript of DeLays quotes from Morning Editions? segment are below.

If you pull quotes please credit NPRs Morning Edition.?

Contact: Chad Campbell, NPR, Manager, Media Relations, (202) 513-2304

Transcript

Tom DeLay excerpts from NPRs Morning Edition? 4/04/06 segment

Inskeep to Seabrook: Lets listen to a little bit of this as Tom DeLay answered the question of whether he is backing away from a fight by quitting his seat.?

DeLay: Im not turning from the political fight. Im kind of excited that Im going to be out there trying to unify the conservative movement. Im going to be fighting very hard to grow the majority in the House. I just think I can do it better outside the House than inside right now.?

Seabrook: Does this have anything to do with the investigation of Tony Rudy, your aide, and the ongoing corruption investigation into Jack Abramoff??

DeLay: Im not connected to that, all that, at all. I made this decision before I knew what Tony Rudy was going to doAnd, I know my detractors and enemies are trying to prove me guilty by association, but, unfortunately, theyre not going to get to do that now.?

[later in segment]

Inskeep: We want to just leave you with one more bit of tape from that interview with Congressman Tom DeLay. In this piece of tape, Congressman DeLay denies again that the investigations of them had anything to do with his decision to leave Congress.?

DeLay: I am not a target of the investigation. I have not spoken to any federal agents. I have not been interviewed by any federal agents. I have cooperated by sending all my records and everything to the Department of Justice. I have not been subpoenaed; I have not been talked to. I know you/the press has a hard time believing it, but the truth is I am not a target of this investigation; Abramoff has nothing to do with me. And you know what? When I step out of the House, I dont have to answer those kind of questions. And Ive got to go, bye-bye.?