Republican wants to give state agency power over election code prosecution

[crispini]

Bill would give ethics commission veto in local prosecutions.

By Laylan Copelin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
A member of Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick's leadership team wants to give the Texas Ethics Commission veto power over local prosecutors' prosecution of crimes under the election code.

Rep. Mary Denny, R–Aubrey, chairwoman of the House Elections Committee, would create an office under the state commission to conduct election code violation investigations such as Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle's two-year investigation of the Texas Association of Business, Texans for a Republican Majority and Craddick.

House Bill 913 would prohibit a prosecutor from pursuing charges if the state office determines there is no criminal offense.

Shannon Edmonds with the Texas District and County Attorneys Association said the group is taking a wait-and-see attitude on the legislation but added, "It seems to keep prosecutors from prosecuting crimes."

More...
http://www.statesman.com/hp/content/shared/tx/legislature/stories/02/10earle_me.html

Huh, sound like they're trying to shut up Ronnie Earle? We'd better watch this.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Haven't you noticed that Republicans want to 'shut up' or shut

down any investigation into anything they do? This is the march to fascism.

[texastoast]

2. I just got the email from Drive Democracy.org

I sent my letters to Denny and Craddick.

I understand that you (Denny) have (has) filed HB 913 in an effort to reduce accountability for ethics violations made by Texas politicians.

Please withdraw (remove) this bill from consideration. What Texas needs is a bill to strengthen ethics standards and make the consequences for violating those standards severe for ALL politicians.

We need to keep our democracy and get rid of the political auction in Texas.

[sonias]

4. Here's the message with contact info

DUers you know what to do
Sonia
-------------------
Dear DriveDemocracy Member,

Yesterday a GOP legislator, State Rep.Mary Denny, (R--Aubrey) chairwoman of the House Elections Committee filed a bill that would give the state's Ethics Commission -- appointed and funded by legislators who could be investigated -- veto power over prosecutors seeking to enforce the state's election law.

GOP lawmakers don't want to be held accountable to the law. So they are considering legislation which would, in effect, grant them perpetual immunity from prosecution.

This bill should be called the "We're Above the Law" act. Please contact Rep. Denny and House Speaker Tom Craddick and tell them to withdraw HB 913. Let them know that no Texan, especially an elected official, should be above the law. Click this link to send an email to
Denny: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=63&rep=mary.denny
Email Craddick: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=82&rep=tom.craddick
or contact their offices: Rep. Denny Speaker Craddick
[phone] [phone]
[phone] Fax [phone] Fax

The bill is being filed in direct response to an investigation of the 2002 campaigns that has already resulted in three indicted corporations settling with prosecutors and eight other indictments. And yes, Rep. Denny has received money from both organizations under investigation -- Tom DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority PAC (TRMPAC) and the Texas Association of Businesses (TAB).

A spokesperson for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association told the Austin American-Statesman, "It seems to keep prosecutors from prosecuting crimes."

Ronnie Earle, the Travis County District Attorny heading up the TRMPAC investigation said: "This is the ultimate above-the-law bill. We can't have one law for politicians and another for everybody else. This is a slap in the face of the public."

The Ethics Commission is appointed by state officials and is notoriously gutless. In its fourteen years of existence it has never subpoenaed a witness or any documents to investigate a complaint or referred a criminal case. The Ethics Commission is the very definition of a toothless watchdog!

Please let Denny and Craddick know that you don't appreciate politicians trying to place themselves above-the-law and after you've contacted their offices please come to the blog and post a comment so we'll know how they are responding: http://www.drivedemocracy.org/blog/index.php?p=205

thank you,
Nathan Wilcox, DriveDemocracy.org

[redqueen]

5. Thanks for posting this!

I need to get on that mailing list...

[sonias]

3. We have got to get rid of Mary Denny

She is a total obstructionist on the Elections Committee. Isn't this more bureaucracy that's going to cost the taxpayers money. We already have laws on the books, so lets just let the prosecutors enforce them. Oh but that's the whole point, we can't have anyone questioning repukes on their violations.

And we're supposed to let a partisan state commission, appointed by a partisan legislature investigate "election code violations". Hey we hear Jeff Gannon is looking for a job, maybe Denny can find him a new job with the toothless Texas Ethics Commission.

Sonia

[crispini]

6. Here's my email.

Our lawmakers should not be above the law. Please withdraw HB913 immediately. This is a matter of integrity or the lack thereof. For the Ethics Commission to be given veto power over prosecutors who are trying to enforce our election laws is in itself unethical and immoral. Let the law work.