From the Lone Star Project:
Sen. Joan Huffman
The Lone Star Project has learned that a complaint was filed Wednesday with the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) alleging that Republican State Senator Joan Huffman (SD17 – Houston) is in violation of section § 572.023 of the Texas Government Code for failure to disclose a financial interest in 30 business entities controlled by her husband, Keith Lawyer. The complaint can be seen here.
Current Texas law requires state elected officials to report their financial holdings and activities as well as those of their spouses and any dependent children. Also according to the Texas Ethics Commission, a filer must report information about community property on their state disclosure documents—including any businesses formed by a spouse during the marriage. According to the complaint, Huffman has repeatedly failed to disclose her husband’s business interests.
Huffman’s Personal Loophole Amendment
Anyone wondering why Joan Huffman filed an amendment in the closing weeks of the legislative session that carves out a loophole to eliminate the requirement that spousal assets be disclosed now has an answer. Huffman’s amendment was about Joan Huffman and giving her cover for an ongoing violation of state law.
If Governor Abbott signs the bill containing the Huffman amendment into law, state officials will be able to hide assets through their spouses, opening a massive loophole for lawmakers to engage in conflicts of interest by accepting gifts and income sources in the name of a husband or wife. No one should think it won’t happen. Former State Representative Linda Harper-Brown drove a luxury Mercedes-Benz provided by a lobbyist, but registered in the name of Harper-Brown’s spouse.
See here for the background on Huffman’s amendment and here for the Chron story. This is happening as several members of the Texas Ethics Commission have stated that the Lege took a step backward on ethics reform and enforcement – despite Greg Abbott making “ethics reform” an emergency item for them – and sent a letter to Abbott urging him to veto the bill that contains Huffman’s amendment; they had favored the bill before she stuck that amendment in.
Normally this sort of thing doesn’t amount to much overall. Complaints get filed all the time, and many of them are over small disputes and minor violations. When it becomes a problem is when there is a perception that there’s pervasive corruption. Think back to 2006 and all the scandals the national Republicans faced, and how it helped turn that election into a Democratic wave, built as much on lower Republican turnout (including here in Texas) than anything else. But now you’ve got Huffman, you’ve got Ken Paxton, you’ve got Rick Perry, you’ve got the escalating war against Michael Quinn Sullivan and his everflowing river of “dark money” – these things can add up, if they individually amount to something. The Republicans won’t even be able to blame it all on those dirty hippies in Travis County anymore, too. It all may come to nothing, or mostly to nothing, but if it doesn’t, I’d be a little worried about it if I were a Republican strategist. If the people start to think you’re all a bunch of crooks, that more than anything can help spur a change. The Press has more.
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