DALLAS MORNING NEWS BLOGGER GOES AFTER GREG ABBOTT FOR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS:
I have to be amused at the thrust of this article. The writer is after the wrong thing here. Linebarger compromises every politician there is by giving almost all of them that they think are friendly a campaign contribution. They're also known for giving jobs to retired public school superintendents when they retire if they've been "friendly" during their tenure.
The issues are that Linebarger doesn't have that good of a reputation any more, so they have to resort to campaign contributions to pave the way for their business interests.
AG Abbott should have sent the money back. So should all the Katy ISD board members who have taken the $500 from Linebarger--Dibrell, Crockett, Snyder--to name the ones I can think of.
Linebarger should rectify it's employees so that it wouldn't have to dole out the dole.
By CHRISTY HOPPE Austin Bureau choppe@dallasnews.com
Published: 16 June 2014 11:20 PM
Updated: 17 June 2014 08:23 AM
Greg Abbott
AUSTIN — The attorney general’s office under Greg Abbott has approved
more than $3 million in state contracts for a law firm that has been a generous political
contributor — providing $200,000 to Abbott’s campaigns in the past 12 years.
Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson collects delinquent debts for
several state agencies, including the North Texas Tollway Authority. The firm has also
faced legal problems, with two partners facing criminal charges of trying to influence
public officials in separate incidents.
Abbott’s office has repeatedly endorsed contracts for the law firm, but
aides said there’s no conflict because other agencies initiated the agreements. State law
dictates that the attorney general must approve the contracts. A spokesman for the law
firm said the donations were never intended to help Linebarger win business.
In his campaign for governor, Abbott, the Republican nominee, has made
ethics a priority. He has pounded his challenger, Democrat Wendy Davis, for voting as a
state senator on issues that affected government agencies she worked for as a private
attorney.
There are few limits on lawmakers voting on legislation that affect
their livelihoods, and there are no limits on state officeholders accepting contributions
from those they regulate.
Craig McDonald, director of the campaign finance watchdog Texans for
Public Justice, said both candidates should pledge to do more to avoid potential conflicts
and fortify integrity in the system.
“It would be my hope that anyone with a state contract should not be
able to give campaign money to the officer who can oversee that contract,” McDonald said.
He noted that Abbott has criticized Davis for making money as a bond
attorney for public projects. And in his own case, “the problem is that Linebarger appears
to be paying for access to contracts,” McDonald said.
“He’s never talked about crossing the line into the conflicts inherent
in campaign contributions. Those are just as serious, if not more so,” McDonald said.
AG’s defense
Abbott’s state spokesman said there is no conflict because another
agency hires the debt collector.
“The office of the attorney general has no say in which firms are
selected by other state agencies,” said spokesman Jerry Strickland. “The very premise of
your story is ridiculous because it totally ignores the fact that the OAG does not select
this or any other firm.”
The attorney general signs off on about 15 to 25 debt collection
contracts a year. Strickland said contracts are occasionally rejected because they don’t
meet state requirements. He said he was unaware of contracts being refused for other
reasons.
In 2012, a Fort Worth grand jury indicted Linebarger partner Mario
Perez on charges that he falsified campaign reports to hide contributions to an Arlington
school board member. At the time, Perez was trying to secure contracts for Linebarger to
collect debts owed to the Arlington and Fort Worth school districts. The case is pending.
And in 2004, Linebarger partner Juan Pena pleaded guilty to federal
bribery charges for paying two San Antonio City Council members for their votes on a
contract. Both council members pleaded guilty the next year.
Joe Householder, a spokesman for the firm, said that in both instances,
Linebarger provided full cooperation with investigating authorities.
“Those two individuals are in no way representative of the firm’s 1,200
employees and partners who do their work with integrity and professionalism every day,”
Householder said.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson is one of the biggest
delinquent-debt collectors for the state. Among the Linebarger contracts that the attorney
general ultimately approved was one worth $2 million from the tollway authority.
Some state contracts are put out for competitive bids. But others, such
as with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Department of Aging and
Disability Services, were negotiated as add-ons to existing federal contracts. The
environmental agency’s contract is worth as much as $300,000 annually. Under the
disability department’s contract, the firm collects a 25 percent fee added to each account
collected.
The firm also makes frequent campaign contributions, totaling $2.6
million in the past 10 years to state and local officials — including $214,000 to Abbott,
state records show. Included in that total is use of the firm’s corporate plane.
Householder said the firm is active in Texas communities, supporting
charities along with political candidates.
Asked if the contributions were meant to gain access to decision
makers, Householder said: “We engage politically by supporting candidates and elected
officials whose service we believe would be most beneficial to the constituents of the
office they seek or hold.”
Zac Petkanas, a spokesman for the Davis campaign, said the approval of
contracts for campaign contributors adds to concerns over Abbott’s dealings. He cited a
Houston Chronicle report showing that the attorney general, whose office also must approve
bonds issued by local governments, has collected $200,000 in contributions since 2012 from
law firms that served as bond counsel on those projects.
“This is yet another example of Greg Abbott — the ultimate Austin
insider — looking out for other political insiders instead of hardworking Texans,”
Petkanas said.
Follow Christy Hoppe on Twitter at @christyhoppe.
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comments:
Alixa 4 hours ago
Well now, looks like Wendy Davis got some backing from that very same
firm. Didn't see that mentioned here. Think Christy is trying for one last hail mary
attempt and it doesn't have any "Hoppe" again. Wendy has ties to this same firm going all
the way back to her City Manager days. This firm spreads out donations to just about every
official there is republican or democrat. Since they are the biggest game in town for
collections, it'd be nearly impossible not to do business with them. Below just about sums
it up.
“The office of the attorney general has no say in which firms are
selected by other state agencies,” said spokesman Jerry Strickland. “The very premise of
your story is ridiculous because it totally ignores the fact that the OAG does not select
this or any other firm.”
http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/campaign-finance/filer/109448/from/61882/
Contributions to Wendy R. Davis from LINEBARGER GOGGAN BLAIR & SAMPSON
LLP
Date
Contributor Name
Zip Code
Amount
Filing
June 4, 2012
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP
78760
$1,000
538504.pdf
April 5, 2012
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP
78760
$1,000
538504.pdf
Nov. 15, 2011
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP
78760
$1,000
516507.pdf
Sept. 19, 2010
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP
78760
$1,250
478206.pdf
Nov. 2, 2009
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP
78760
$2,500
449380.pdf