Political ethics lapses know no party

Despite what many on the InterLeft would have you to believe, playing fast and loose with campaign funds and taxpayer money is not the sole providence of the pachyderms....

(from Gary Scharrar of the Chron)

A California disabled veteran who spends six days a week sifting through campaign finance reports has filed complaints against 10 Texas legislators and 15 judges with the Texas Ethics Commission, ranging from failing to identify campaign donors to using campaign money for personal use.

One of the complaints takes aim at state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, for dipping into his massive campaign chest for $165,061 worth of Houston Astros, Texans and Rockets tickets — expenses the veteran says personally benefit the senator.

"Does every voter get a free ticket to the ballgame?" wonders Dave Palmer, who filed the complaint. "It's a wonder that the Astros don't ask him to call balls and strikes."

In his campaign finance report, Whitmire says the expense was necessary for "constituent entertainment."

Whitmire later goes on to say: "I don't care what he thinks" referring to the California residency of the complainer. Good stuff.


My guess is that Whitmire is the largest of the "local" politicians named in the complaints, which includes 15 State Legislators and 10 State Judges, and probably the highest profile "name" on the list. Funny that none of the partisan attack dogs citizen watchdogs in Texas thought to take a look at these and at least question them. Considering they've devoted paragraph-long screeds to expenditures of under $3,000 one would think that something over $160K would at least deserve a cursory review, right?

From another angle: What's really sad is that it takes an injured combat veteran from California to uncover irregularities (not ethical violations, there's a difference) the deserve further review. You'd think the ethics commission would have the ethics to do that themselves.