Watchdog Groups Call for Speaker Craddick to Step Aside
| For Immediate Release: | For More Information Contact: |
| September 21, 2004 | Craig McDonald, 512-472-9770 |
Austin, TX: Leaders of three Texas campaign reform groups-Public Citizen Texas, Texans for Public Justice, and Common Cause Texas–reacted to a Travis County Grand Jury’s indictment of key TRMPAC operatives by calling on Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick to relinquish his leadership post. The groups also urged the Travis County District Attorney to aggressively prosecute the alleged lawbreakers and pursue the many other allegations of illegal activity in the 2002 Texas legislative elections wherever the evidence leads.
“The dark cloud over Tom Craddick’s speakership just got darker,” said Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice. “Today’s indictments are likely just the tip of the iceberg. The lawlessness in the 2002 elections, which resulted in Tom Craddick’s election as Speaker and Tom DeLay’s gerrymandering, appears to have been widespread and coordinated among several politicians and PACs. In light of today’s criminal indictments, Tom Craddick, who was near the center of TRMPAC’s operations, should step down as speaker until the legal system gets to the bottom of what happened in 2002. (Craddick had scores of communications with TRMPAC staff during the 2002 campaign, Craddick was a conduit for TRMPAC checks to candidates and Craddick solicited contributions to TRMPAC.)The Texas House should prepare to select a permanent replacement speaker if TRMPAC operatives are convicted or if Craddick himself is indicted. Stealing elections is the ultimate crime against democracy.”
“Today’s indictments raise serious questions about Speaker Craddick’s ability to effectively conduct the business of the state,” said Suzy Woodford, Executive Director of Common Cause Texas. “The citizens of Texas deserve a leader that is untainted by this scandal, and someone that can devote full attention and energy to the important job of governing. Since the grand jury is continuing it’s investigation into whether or not Speaker Craddick’s distribution of checks to other lawmakers on behalf of TRMPAC was illegal, the Speaker must step down. The speaker’s resignation would represent the first step in rebuilding the confidence of the people of Texas.”
“Public Citizen joins in the call for Speaker Craddick to step aside until the criminal investigations and prosecutions surrounding TRMPAC’s activities are complete,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith of Public Citizen’s Texas office. “Over the last four years, the House has been taken over as a result of what appear to be clear violations of the prohibition on using corporate money to fund campaigns. Over 100 years ago our forefathers passed laws to prohibit corporations from contributing to elections because they had seen the policy paybacks these corporate contributors demanded- and we saw the same thing happen last session. These indictments may be just the beginning of the unraveling of the conspiracy to control the Texas House and Congress.”
