WASHINGTON — So far, Donald Trump is following a well-honed template for politicians facing criminal charges. Dismiss the allegations as baseless. Accuse the accusers of pushing an agenda.
Texas history is replete with candidates facing legal and career peril. Some escaped conviction only to see their electoral prospects hobbled anyway. Those who bounced back usually managed not only to win acquittal but to discredit the prosecution.
Tom DeLay’s fall from power was nearly instant in the fall of 2005.