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Ethics
September 3, 2008
TAB trial tentatively set for Nov. 10
State District Judge Mike Lynch on Wednesday tentatively ordered a trial for the Texas Association of Business on charges that it made illegal corporate contributions to its own political action committee.
In effect, the state’s largest business organization is accused of paying its officers with corporate dollars while they were politicking for a slate of legislative candidates in 2002.
The defense argued that the group’s actions were protected free speech, while prosecutors claim the association violated the state ban on spending corporate money in connection with campaigns.
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May 27, 2007
Perry getting ban on legislators renting from family
House members sent Gov. Rick Perry a proposal barring lawmakers from spending political donations on renting property from other family members. Last year, newspapers and political consultants revealed that some members were doing so.
According to a bill analysis, since 1996, the Texas Ethics Commission has approved the ethical and legal use of campaign funds for state legislators to pay rent for Austin lodging if the rented property is separate property owned by the legislator’s spouse.
Unsaid: But it smelled bad.
The approved measure prohibits legislators from using campaign funds to pay rent on either community property or separate property of their spouses.
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April 24, 2007
Texans for Public Justice report analyzes lawmakers' travel costs
Texans for Public Justice has tallied how much officeholder travel has been funded lately by lobbyists and other interests. Gov. Rick Perry tops the list of beneficiaries; he travels more than other officeholders. The report also digs out how much travel legislators have taken—with Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, and Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Williamson County, among top beneficiaries.
TPJ doesn’t say any laws were broken, but the group advocates changes in law, however. Highlight: “Following Congress’ lead, Texas should ban lobbyists, lobby firms and their clients from giving any gifts of more than a nominal value to candidates, public officials or their staffs. Similarly, candidates, public officials and their staffs should be prohibited from flying on non-commercial aircraft furnished by outside private interests. Under such rules, Texas candidates, public officials and their staffs would limit their flights to commercial aircraft, state-maintained aircraft or their own personal aircraft.”
Read the report.
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April 12, 2007
Gift-definition proposal clears House
House members today sent the Senate a measure by Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, requiring public officials to report the fair-market value of gifts.
Senators last month advanced a measure by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, requiring officials to disclose the value of gifts they receive of $250 or more.
Look for the bodies to sort their differences, or not, by the end of the session May 28.
Existing law requires reporting of a gift of $250 in value or more, but not the precise value.
The Texas Ethics Commission advised last year that a state official need not report the value of a gift of cash or cash equivalent on his or her personal financial disclosure statement.
The issue of cash gifts dogged the commission after it was revealed that Bill Ceverha, a member of the state Employee Retirement System board, took $100,000 from Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, the state’s largest individual campaign donor.
Initially, Ceverha reported receiving a gift from Perry without identifying how much.
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February 12, 2007
House committees' agenda: Dinner.
Four Texas House committees plan to gather at Austin restaurants this week for getting-to-know-you dinners.
The dinners are not unusual, longtime Capitol folk say, but it is rare (very rare if you like steak that moos) to have committee chiefs post the meetings as public gatherings.
Not that members necessarily want the public to show up. Asked what might happen if anyone from the public shows up for the House Committee on Energy Resources’ dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Chairman Rick Hardcastle, R-Vernon, said: “Probably get asked to leave.” Then he said he was just trying to be funny.
Tonight, three committees — Rules and Resolutions, Financial Institutions and Law Enforcement — were scheduled to dine at Carmelo’s, Austin Land & Cattle Company and Ruth’s Chris, according to postings.
Denise Davis, the House parliamentarian, said she has informally advised House members to post the social events as meetings if they expect a quorum (or majority) of committee members to attend. She said she’s carrying forward a recommendation that germinated with a previous parliamentarian in 2003.
Who picks up the tabs?
Hardcastle said he plans to buy dinner for his colleagues by tapping his campaign kitty.
Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, said his the financial institutions panel’s dinner is being sponsored groups that don’t have business before the committee. Solomons’ office got more specific later and said the dinner was being sponsored Public Strategies, the law office of Jaime Capelo and Verizon — all entities that don’t have any business before the committee.
Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, said it’s uncertain how the Committee on Rules and Resolutions’ dinner will be covered. “I’ll probably end up paying,” she said.
Rep. Valinda Bolton, D-Austin, a member of the rules and resolutions panel, said she planned to drop by the dinner before heading to Monday night’s meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO). She said it could be her first meal at Carmelos. “I’m hoping somebody throws a bread stick in my general direction,” she said.
Rep. Joe Driver, chairman of the Committee on Law Enforcement, didn’t immediately return a call for comment.
