WASHINGTON(AP) Majority Leader Tom DeLay raised $42,900 for his legal expense fund in the quarter ending June 30 _ short of the fund's expenses during the period, a House report showed Thursday.

Expenses for the Tom DeLay Legal Expense Trust totaled $56,211 in the second quarter. Most of the disbursements, more than $45,600, went to the Washington firm of DeLay lawyer Bobby Burchfield.

DeLay faces a possible investigation this year by the House ethics committee, which admonished him on three separate issues in 2004. News articles have questioned whether a Washington lobbyist or his clients paid for some of DeLay's nongovernment travel, despite House rules prohibiting lobbyist travel payments.

The Texas Republican has denied wrongdoing and said he assumed the nonprofit groups that invited him to travel had paid for the trips. In an effort to clear his name, DeLay has asked the ethics committee to look into the matter.

The officially named Committee on Standards of Official Conduct has not yet determined whether to conduct a comprehensive investigation.

Federal authorities and congressional committees are investigating whether the lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, bilked some of his Indian tribe clients.

The legal fund contributions are running far below 2004, when DeLay raised $439,300. In the quarter ending March 31 this year, DeLay raised $47,750 _ enough to cover his first quarter expenses of more than $34,000.

The fund has raised $1,089,871 since its formation in July 2000, according to Public Citizen, a congressional watchdog group that keeps track of the donations.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." ~ Chinese Proverb

"Won't get fooled again" ~ the Who

My heart really bleeds for Hot Tub Tom's troubles. Really!