House Testimony begins in Democrats' election suit
The Substance
Testimony begins in Democrats' election suit
Associated Press
AUSTIN - Testimony began today in a civil lawsuit filed by five Democrats who allege a Republican group helped hijack the 2002 election that gave the GOP control of the Texas House for the first time since the 1870s.
Lawyers began presenting evidence that they say shows illegal campaign spending of corporate donations to influence the outcome. The trial, before state District Judge Joe Hart, is expected to last a week.
The Democrats allege Bill Ceverha, a former state House Republican who is now treasurer of the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee, or TRMPAC, conspired to illegally collect and spend about $600,000 in corporate contributions that targeted Democrats.
Texas law bans the use of corporate money to influence the outcome of an election but allows its use for administrative costs for political committees, such as rent or utility bills.
Plaintiffs' attorneys on Monday displayed in court e-mails and handwritten notes made by principals of TRMPAC that they said proves corporate money was improperly spent.
Ceverha's attorney, Terry Scarborough, has said TRMPAC did make campaign contributions to several candidates but the money came from funds collected by individuals and entities other than corporations. He said all those donations were properly reported both by the political committee and the receiving candidates.
The trial could affect an ongoing criminal investigation into 2002 legislative election spending. That investigation has resulted in indictments against three top fund-raisers for U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Texans for a Republican Majority, created by DeLay, is an offshoot of his national fund-raising committee, Americans for a Republican Majority. DeLay has not been accused of any wrongdoing. He has not been subpoenaed in the civil case and has congressional immunity from being forced to testify in a lawsuit.
Scarborough said TRMPAC spent corporate donated money on overhead that was not for the benefit of a candidate. He said there is no evidence that the money was donated as a campaign contribution and maintains those donations were not required by law to be reported.
Among the witnesses subpoenaed to testify are Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick, who was swept to power by the GOP majority, and Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business, the state's largest business lobby. Neither is a defendant in the lawsuit.
Craddick is not expected to appear in court himself. Lawyers in the case worked out a "stipulation" document in which Craddick agreed that $152,000 in campaign donation checks were sent to his Midland office in October 2002 and later redistributed by staff members to candidates. He also agreed that certain documents related to the case no longer exist, said his attorney, Roy Minton.
Craddick was in South Bend, Ind., when the money arrived at his office, Minton said.
Last week, before it was clear whether Craddick would appear in court, he said he wasn't worried about any line of questioning.
"I'm fine," Craddick said. "They subpoenaed our records and what we had, and we didn't have anything they wanted. So we've already turned over everything we had to them."
Hammond, the Texas Association of Business president, is expected to be asked about how his group assisted Texans for a Republican Majority in 2002. Hammond once boasted that his group had spent $1.9 million to support Republican candidates in 2002 legislative campaigns.
The Democrats also allege that corporate contributions were not properly reported to the Texas Ethics Commission.
"The question in this case is whether secret, undisclosed corporations are going to control the political process through large campaign contributions," said Cris Feldman, one of the attorneys for the five Democrats.
Testimony began today in a civil lawsuit filed by five Democrats who allege a Republican group helped hijack the 2002 election that gave the GOP control of the Texas House for the first time since the 1870s. The Democrats allege Bill Ceverha, a former state House Republican who is now treasurer of the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee, or TRMPAC, conspired to illegally collect and spend about $600,000 in corporate contributions that targeted Democrats. Texas law bans the use of corporate money to influence the outcome of an election but allows its use for administrative costs for political committees, such as rent or utility bills.
Testimony begins in Democrats' election suit
Associated Press
AUSTIN - Testimony began today in a civil lawsuit filed by five Democrats who allege a Republican group helped hijack the 2002 election that gave the GOP control of the Texas House for the first time since the 1870s.
Lawyers began presenting evidence that they say shows illegal campaign spending of corporate donations to influence the outcome. The trial, before state District Judge Joe Hart, is expected to last a week.
The Democrats allege Bill Ceverha, a former state House Republican who is now treasurer of the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee, or TRMPAC, conspired to illegally collect and spend about $600,000 in corporate contributions that targeted Democrats.
Texas law bans the use of corporate money to influence the outcome of an election but allows its use for administrative costs for political committees, such as rent or utility bills.
Plaintiffs' attorneys on Monday displayed in court e-mails and handwritten notes made by principals of TRMPAC that they said proves corporate money was improperly spent.
Ceverha's attorney, Terry Scarborough, has said TRMPAC did make campaign contributions to several candidates but the money came from funds collected by individuals and entities other than corporations. He said all those donations were properly reported both by the political committee and the receiving candidates.
The trial could affect an ongoing criminal investigation into 2002 legislative election spending. That investigation has resulted in indictments against three top fund-raisers for U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Texans for a Republican Majority, created by DeLay, is an offshoot of his national fund-raising committee, Americans for a Republican Majority. DeLay has not been accused of any wrongdoing. He has not been subpoenaed in the civil case and has congressional immunity from being forced to testify in a lawsuit.
Scarborough said TRMPAC spent corporate donated money on overhead that was not for the benefit of a candidate. He said there is no evidence that the money was donated as a campaign contribution and maintains those donations were not required by law to be reported.
Among the witnesses subpoenaed to testify are Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick, who was swept to power by the GOP majority, and Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business, the state's largest business lobby. Neither is a defendant in the lawsuit.
Craddick is not expected to appear in court himself. Lawyers in the case worked out a "stipulation" document in which Craddick agreed that $152,000 in campaign donation checks were sent to his Midland office in October 2002 and later redistributed by staff members to candidates. He also agreed that certain documents related to the case no longer exist, said his attorney, Roy Minton.
Craddick was in South Bend, Ind., when the money arrived at his office, Minton said.
Last week, before it was clear whether Craddick would appear in court, he said he wasn't worried about any line of questioning.
"I'm fine," Craddick said. "They subpoenaed our records and what we had, and we didn't have anything they wanted. So we've already turned over everything we had to them."
Hammond, the Texas Association of Business president, is expected to be asked about how his group assisted Texans for a Republican Majority in 2002. Hammond once boasted that his group had spent $1.9 million to support Republican candidates in 2002 legislative campaigns.
The Democrats also allege that corporate contributions were not properly reported to the Texas Ethics Commission.
"The question in this case is whether secret, undisclosed corporations are going to control the political process through large campaign contributions," said Cris Feldman, one of the attorneys for the five Democrats.
posted by JimG at 2:24 PM
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