TX Ethics Panel; Officials don't need to detail cash gifts

[elehhhhna]

Officials don't need to detail cash gifts
Ethics panel is criticized for ruling any sum can simply be called 'currency'


By LISA SANDBERG
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN — A Texas official who receives any sum of cash as a gift can satisfy state disclosure laws by reporting the money simply as "currency," without specifying the amount, the Texas Ethics Commission reiterated Monday.

The 5-3 decision outraged watchdog groups and some officials who unabashedly accused the commission of failing to enforce state campaign finance laws.

"What the Ethics Commission has done is legalize bribery in the state of Texas. We call on the commission to resign en masse," said Tom "Smitty" Smith, who heads Texas Citizen, an Austin-based group that advocates for campaign finance reform.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, said the "currency" interpretation would render it "perfectly legal to report the gift of 'a wheelbarrow' without reporting that the wheelbarrow was filled with cash."

This was the second time the commission ruled on the issue of cash gift disclosures. Last March, it ruled that a gift of two checks for $100,000 could be listed simply as "checks."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4363846.html

[depakid]

1. Texas has an Ethics Panel?

Who'd have known....

[texpatriot2004]

2. Texas "Ethics" - they should be ashamed nm

[DeSwiss]

3. WTF????

How many Bush's are on this commission???

[acmejack]

4. These cynical asses have to make a mockery of everything!

Their day will come. Accountability is demanded!

[mom cat]

5. They learned "ethics" from the Bushies and Harriet Miers.

[sonias]

6. At least 3 bills have been filed in the Texas Legislature to fix this

HB 64 by Rep. David Leibowitz (D), HB 72 by Rep. Fred Hill (R), HB 158 by Rep. Elliott Naishtat, and HB 255 by Rep. Todd Smith all would require a statement of fair market value of any gifts.

Tip to Phillip Martin from BOR who provided the bill numbers.

I'm sure Representative Lon Burnam who filed a lawsuit on the Texas Ethics Commission over this very issue will certainly file one as well.

Sonia

[tbyg52]

7. This is riduculous

We all should be screaming bloody murder. I feel a letter to the editor coming on...

BTW, the correct subject for this is "Texas Legalizes Bribes." Sure looks like it to me.