In case you missed it....Craddick's ethics complaint

[johncoby2]

http://bayareahouston.blogspot.com/2008/12/house-speaker-craddicks-ethics.html

Over the last few months State Representatives Eissler and Isett have been heavily fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for using their campaign cash to pay their spouses and dependents for services. They both claimed ignorance and at least one claimed House Speaker Craddick was doing it also. And for good reason.

Craddick has paid his daughter Christi over $650,000 since 2003 for "salary", $133,000 in 2007 and $110,000 for the first 10 monts of 2008. As Isett and Eissler has learned, the Ethics Commission rules prohibits payments to dependents.

IT IS MUCH WORSE. COME BY AND READ MORE.

search on google news for Craddick. It is all over the place!

[sonias]

1. Awesome John! I thought it might be you

I heard about the ethics complaint but didn't know who our champion was - you of course.

It would be so sweet if you were the tipping point - the final straw that broke Craddick's back.

:yourock: :hug:

Sonia

[johncoby2]

2. That would be cool!!!

I could put it on my head stone after Craddicks thugs come after me!

:)

[sonias]

3. Activist says Texas House speaker Tom Craddick violates law by paying daughter

DMN 12/03/08
Activist says Texas House speaker Tom Craddick violates law by paying daughter

AUSTIN — Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick is facing an ethics complaint over campaign payments and state health insurance benefits he has provided for his daughter, a former lobbyist who's employed by her father as a political consultant.

Filed this week by Houston-area Democratic activist John Cobarruvias, the complaint alleges Craddick has run afoul of laws designed to prevent politicians and their families from living off campaign accounts. Craddick's lawyer, Ed Shack, denied the speaker violated any ethics provisions.

Tom Craddick has paid Christi Craddick about $12,000 a month for her consultant work, for a total of more than $600,000 since 2003, records show. The powerful lawmaker also helped craft a law in 1997 that made his adult daughter eligible for lifetime state health insurance as long as she doesn't marry.

That's the rub, Cobarruvias says: Christi Craddick can receive a campaign salary only if she's not the speaker's dependent child. But she can only get the state health insurance by being declared his adult dependent.

"He can't have it both ways," said Cobarruvias.

Craddick is apparently anti-marriage since he doesn't want his daughter to marry. Better that she have lifetime state health insurance than a husband or love. Who would pay her insurance if she married?

:wow:

:bounce::bounce::bounce:Way to go John! :applause::applause::applause:


Sonia

[sonias]

4. Lamest defense ever from Craddick's lawyer

AAS 12/04/08
Lawyer: Speaker's daughter free to be paid by father's campaign

But Shack said the Texas Ethics Commission uses an IRS standard as a guideline as to whether lawmakers should list a dependent on their personal financial statements. It says, "A child is considered a dependent if you provided more than 50 percent of the child's support during a calendar year."

"It says, 'a child,' " Shack said. "End of story."

Child? Really, that's his defense? That she's not under 18 years old? What a moran! :rofl:

I think that the crucial dependency clause of the IRS test is the "50 percent of the child's support during a calendar year". It says nothing about the age of the child. And certainly parents claim their children as dependents when they go off to college if they pay that financial support. Sometimes well into their twenties and even thirties if the child is taking their time getting that degree. A dependent is a dependent no matter what age. And a child is always a child of the parents, no matter what age.


Sonia

[Stop Cornyn]

5. If Silver Spoon Christi is too old to be anyone's child, is Craddick now her grandfather?

[GOPisEvil]

6. Hey Sonia, a check isn't the same as cash.

These Republicans are full of lame excuses. But thanks to their friends in the courts, they get away with them.

[sonias]

7. Oh hell ruin my day why don't you

I wanted to dream about "moran" type moves by the ethically challenged Texas republicans and you had to remind me that the same ethically challenged repukes sit on all of our courts.

You meanie! :cry:


Sonia

[GOPisEvil]

8. Sorry.

I will let you have 24 hours of delusion next time.