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Making an Impact
“The Lone Star Project … hammers Republicans whenever it gets a chance, promoting strong local Democratic candidates and even bringing lawsuits.”
(Roll Call, Stuart Rothenberg,
March 12, 2009)
“Anyone who questions whether [The Lone Star Project] can make life difficult for a Republican legislator should talk to former Sen. Kim Brimer.”
(Austin American Statesman, February 17, 2009)
“[The Lone Star Project] is responsible for the aggressive stance the party has taken toward DeLay and other Lone Star State Republicans since the 2004 election.”
(The Washington Post, March 6, 2006)
"David Dewhurst has said most Texans don't have much sympathy "for someone who that can't fill out a two page [health insurance] application every six months".
The Democrat-supported Lone Star Project in Washington reported this week that Dewhurst failed to file necessary forms at least six times in recent years.
(San Antonio Expres News,, 4/12/2007)
"The Justice staff memo was obtained by the Lone Star Project ...The story broke the same day the U.S. Supreme Court was considering legal challenges to the plan brought by Democrats and minority groups."
(Houston Chronicle, 12/3/2005)
"The Texas chapter of the NAACP, along with the Lone Star Project, have analyzed the amicus brief filed by the Justice Department and have concluded, justifiably, that the Voting Rights section of the Justice Department is now controlled by partisan political appointees."
(Roll Call - Donna Brazile, 2/28/2006)
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District Attorney Watkins is Right...
Greg Abbott can't be trusted to investigate corruption in Dallas
Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins is wise to ignore calls by partisan Republicans for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to insert himself into an ongoing corruption investigation in Dallas County. Greg Abbott is the last person Dallas County residents can expect to conduct a fair or competent corruption investigation. Investigations during Abbott's tenure as State AG have been marred by foot-dragging, partisanship and failure.
Abbott's shameful invasion of privacy
The most lasting legacy of Abbott's partisan and mean-spirited voter fraud charade was his shocking treatment of Fort Worth senior citizen Gloria Meeks.
Abbott sent state agents to Ms. Meeks' home. They had no warrant or evidence that Ms. Meeks had done anything wrong. Rather than waiting respectfully for her to greet them at the door, agents terrified and mortified Ms. Meeks by peering through her bathroom window as she stepped out of the shower.
Ms. Meeks has never been charged with any wrong-doing.
(See: Lone Star Report, “ Texas AG Abbott Settles Vote Suppression Case ,” May 2, 2008) |
Greg Abbott stalled while children were abused; “E-mail shows AG had reports on TYC abuse” (Source: El Paso Times , March 9, 2007)
For over a year, Greg Abbott failed to act or comment on a shocking report compiled by a Texas Ranger detailing systemic physical assault and sexual abuse of children at the Texas Youth Corrections (TYC) facility in Ward County. Neither of these men has yet gone to trial for abusing children.
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Neither of these men has gone
to trial for abusing children. |
Abbott's office acted only after the sexual abuse story broke in the Dallas Morning News—two years after physical and sexual abuse of Texas children had been confirmed (Source: Austin American-Statesman, “Report on abuse of teens sanitized,” March 2, 2007). Now, more than four years after the abuse report, Abbott has yet to win even one conviction against State employees who physically assaulted and sexually abused children in the Ward County facility (See: Lone Star Report, “ U.S. Justice Department Dropped Texas Youth Commission Indictment ,” March 22, 2007).
Abbott wasted millions on phony voter fraud investigation
Using $1.4 million in federal funds, Greg Abbott launched a high profile investigation of voter fraud in Texas. (Source: Dallas Morning News, March 11, 2009) The investigation turned out to be little more than a PR campaign coupled with a partisan witch hunt. Abbott issued dozens of press releases and deployed high-priced attorneys across the State to investigate only Democrats—almost all of them African American and Hispanic senior citizens. After millions of dollars spent during more than two years, Abbott failed to find any widespread or systemic voter fraud (See: Lone Star Report, “ Texas AG Wastes Crime Fighting Funds on Ineffective Biased Program ,” May 18, 2006).
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Craig Watkins' confident, deliberate approach
In his three years as the Dallas District Attorney, Craig Watkins has earned his reputation as a smart, deliberate prosecutor who acts on facts and does not bend to political or improper public pressure. He has been recognized nationally for the reforms he has made to the traditionally troubled Dallas DA’s office and was named the 2008 Texan of the Year by the Dallas Morning News (Source: Dallas Morning News, " Craig Watkins is the 2008 Texan of the Year ," December 28, 2008).
Successful public corruption investigations usually aren't conducted through the press. There's a reason the FBI, competent police departments and other responsible investigators seldom share details of an ongoing investigation until arrests are made and indictments handed down. The recent US Attorney investigation of corruption at the Dallas City Hall is a good example. That investigation—which eventually resulted in the prosecution and conviction of several prominent individuals—took place over five years. Prosecutors in the case made few substantive public comments about their activities until AFTER indictments were handed down (Source: Department of Justice, “ Main Defendants in Dallas City Hall Corruption Case Sentenced to Substantial Prison Sentences ,” February 26, 2010).
Attacks by partisan Republicans and efforts to interfere by failed investigators like Greg Abbott may be part of a political strategy, but they certainly do not promote justice or help insure that our laws will be aggressively enforced.
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