A senior Republican politician is facing charges of conspiracy in political fundraising in the US.
The majority leader in the US House of Representatives, Tom DeLay, has resigned his position after being indicted by a Grand Jury in his home state of Texas.
He will remain a Congressman while the investigation continues.
Mr DeLay, who is known by his nickname 'The Hammer', is one of the most forceful and powerful Republicans in Congress.
He has used his political weight to increase the number of Republican representatives from Texas and to push through the US President George W Bush's legislative agenda.
Mr DeLay stands accused of soliciting corporate donations to the Republican party, which were then channelled to the election funds of individual Texan candidates.
Corporate donations for individual candidates are against Texan law.
Last night in Washington, Mr DeLay said his indictment was politically motivated and one of the weakest and most baseless in American history.
