In reaction to the Committee approving the bill, Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle released the following statement:
“Senator Huffman and Senate Republican leaders are trying to protect corruption. It’s a blatant attempt to insulate and shield corrupt public officials in our State Capitol that just happens to be controlled by Republicans.
“During her testimony, Senator Huffman called the bill a ‘scheme’. She’s right. It’s a shameful scheme designed to protect public officials who break the law and betray the public’s trust.
“Rather than streamlining the process for identification and prosecution of corrupt public officials, Senator Huffman and Republicans have created a complicated process that would shield them.”
Before the bill moves any further, Senator Huffman should answer some important questions:
- Attorney General Ken Paxton admitted to violating State Security laws and was forced to pay a fine. Ultimately, additional action could be taken on the matter. Given his history of unethical behavior, why would we put Ken Paxton in the critical position of determining the validity of an ethical complaint – possibly against himself?
- Six of the last six Texas Attorney Generals prior to Ken Paxton sought higher office after their tenure as AG. Given this long history of political ambition, why does it make sense to give the AG significant authority over ethics investigations?
- The Texas Constitution does not provide the Legislature with the authority to remove the jurisdiction to prosecute crimes within a county. Why is Senator Huffman pushing through a bill that will ultimately be declared unconstitutional?
Background on Senator Huffman’s bill
SB 10 removes the Public Integrity Unit from Travis County and places the authority to pursue crimes by state officials with the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG). The bill then sets up a series of hurdles that must be cleared before the prosecution of a public official can occur. The process would begin in the OAG, move to the Department of Public Safety and then proceed to a local prosecutor. An investigation can be abandoned at any point.
