April 10 (Bloomberg) -- A Republican member of the U.S. House said Tom DeLay should step down as House majority leader, the Associated Press reported, as a Republican leader in the Senate said DeLay needs to answer questions about his ethics.

Representative Christopher Shays of Connecticut told the AP that DeLay's ``conduct is hurting the Republican Party'' and ``hurting any Republican who is up for re-election.''

Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said on ABC's ``This Week'' program that Texas Republican DeLay should ``lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves.''

DeLay was admonished three times last year by the House ethics committee for violations that included offering to endorse the candidacy of a lawmaker's son in exchange for a vote on legislation. A Texas grand jury has indicted three of his associates in connection with an investigation into political fund raising. The Washington Post last week reported that DeLay accepted a trip to Moscow in 1997 that was financed by lobbyists for the Russian government.

``Congressman DeLay's effective leadership to build and strengthen the House majority is exactly the reason he is being targeted by liberal groups funded by George Soros,'' DeLay's spokesman, Dan Allen, said in a telephone interview. He didn't address the AP report on Shays.

The AP reported that Allen said DeLay ``looks forward to the opportunity of sitting down with the ethics committee chairman'' to ``dispel the fiction and innuendo that's being launched at him by House Democrats.''

DeLay's Allies

DeLay had reported that a Washington-based nonprofit group funded the $57,000 trip to Moscow, the Post said. DeLay told CNN the report was an ``attempt by the liberal media to embarrass me'' and that members of Congress couldn't be responsible for investigating the funding of nonprofit groups.

Separately, the New York Times reported that DeLay's wife, Christine, and his daughter, Dani DeLay Ferro, were paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by DeLay's political action and campaign committees. DeLay aides told the Times that both family members played central roles in his fund raising efforts.

House allies of DeLay, 57, held a news conference last week after the reports were published to say Republicans are standing behind him.

Republicans will ``have to decide whether we are going to continue to make excuses for Tom to the detriment of Republicans seeking election,'' Shays, who is in his 10th term, told the Associated Press.

Santorum said DeLay still was an effective leader.

``The fact of the matter is that he still has very strong support within his ranks,'' Santorum said. DeLay is the second most powerful leader in the House after Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican from Illinois.

`Be Careful'

``My advice, strongly, would be to Republicans: Be careful about how closely you embrace Mr. DeLay,'' Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut, said on ABC. ``As long as he's there, he's going to become a pretty good target.''

The Post quoted officials working with DeLay as saying his ethics are being criticized by Democrats trying to regain power in Congress, where Republicans have majorities in the House and Senate.

``The fact of the matter is that he still has very strong support within his ranks,'' Santorum said. DeLay is the second most powerful leader in the House after Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican from Illinois.

``He is very effective in leading the House. And that, to date, has not been compromised,'' Santorum said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Timothy W. Doyle in Washington at tdoyle8@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 10, 2005 18:00 EDT