Three top political aides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay were indicted yesterday on charges that they * illegally raised political funds from corporations* to use in the * Republican takeover of the Texas legislature*. About 20 Republican candidates in Texas were helped from the illegal activity. Travis County District Attorney accused Delay’s aides of using corporate contributions to “control representative democracy in Texas.” After Republicans gained control of the Texas legislature for the first time since Reconstruction, GOP lawmakers redrew the state’s Congressional map in a way that would give the Republicans as many as five new seats in Congress. According to the Washington Post DeLay has often cited the redistricting effort as a key reason he expects the Nov. 2 election to expand the Republican’s House majority The Post reports that DeLay was not named as a target of the grand jury’s investigation, but documents disclosed in the inquiry indicate that DeLay was central to creating and overseeing the political fundraising in Texas. Eight corporations were also indicted for illegal political contributions. They include Sears Roebuck, Bacardi and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.