Washington ? A defiant Tom DeLay, removed as House majority leader because of a criminal indictment, said Sunday he can do his job even without the title and pledged to continue his close partnership with House Speaker Dennis Hastert in pushing the GOP’s agenda.

The Texas Republican known for keeping colleagues in line and raising prodigious amounts of cash to help elect GOP candidates said he is only guilty of working to defeat Democrats. “But that’s not illegal,” he said.

Yet some House Republicans said the fundraising conspiracy case in Texas has plunged DeLay back into the GOP pack.

“He’s lost his office. He’s lost his staff. And he’s now basically a rank-and-file member who has a lot of friends and will still have influence,” said Connecticut Rep. Christopher Shays, a Republican.

Shays acknowledged he has not been comfortable with DeLay as the No. 2 House GOP leader, citing “continual acts that border and go sometimes beyond the ethical edge. They may not be illegal, but he’s always pushing that ethical edge to the limit.”

DeLay was charged Wednesday with conspiring with two political associates to use corporate donations to support Texas legislative candidates.