Business group must reveal data (Texas)

[Judi Lynn]

June 11, 2005, 1:04AM

Business group must reveal data
Court ruling requires disclosure about funding in Texas House races
By JANET ELLIOTT
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
RESOURCES

AUSTIN - A long-awaited ruling from the Texas Supreme Court on Friday requires the Texas Association of Business to answer questions about how it raised $2 million spent in targeted Texas House races in 2002.

The Supreme Court, without comment, lifted a stay it had issued on Jan. 28, 2004.
(snip)

The TAB targeted 22 Texas House races, with its endorsed candidates winning 18 of those contests. The wins were key to the Republican takeover of the House.

Last month, a district judge in Travis County ruled that the treasurer of a political action committee founded by U.S. House Majority Tom DeLay violated state campaign-finance laws by not reporting more than $500,000 in corporate money used to influence Texas House elections. That ruling came in a lawsuit brought by five losing Democratic candidates against the treasurer of Texans for a Republican Majority, or TRMPAC.

TRMPAC and TAB also are under investigation by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. A Travis County grand jury has indicted three of DeLay's political associates and several major corporations on charges related to how money was raised or transferred to candidates.
(snip/)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3220790
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[PDittie]

1. Another defeat for the Texas GOP in court

Two things of significance in this news:

1): The Texas Supreme Court is comprised of nine Republicans, all of them in the vest pockets of the corporations. That they would rule against the TAB is nothing less than stunning.

2): Andy Taylor, the Republican attorney referenced, is on one hell of a losing streak. He represented Talmadge Heflin in the statehouse recount case, which quickly resulted in the swearing-in of Vietnamese-American and Democrat Hubert Vo. He has also been involved in the expanding litigation -- along with platoons of other lawyers, of course -- regarding TRMPAC. You may be aware that Tom DeLay's Credit Union has likewise suffered recent court defeats.

I sure hope the Texas GOP continues to retain Andy Taylor. :evilgrin:

[fasttense]

2. Those damn activist judges. n/t