A Christmas Miracle For Commissioner Jerry Eversole

What the hell does it take for an elected official to get fired in Harris County?

Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole received a Christmas miracle from the Public Integrity Division of the Harris County District Attorney's office. According to a letter from Assistant DA Terese Buess (more on her later), the DA's office will not be investigating Eversole for spending $162,000 of his donors' money on personal items such as cattle, (yes, cattle) antique western books, antique western art, antique western wear, and much much more. (pdf here)

Background
Eversole's record of expenditures, first uncovered by Wayne Dolcefino of KTRK, is by far the worst example of violating public integrity in the history of the Texas Ethics Commission. The TEC levied a fine of $75,000 and required Eversole refund $41,357.10 to his campaign. In Harris County, theft of over $1500, is a felony, at least for the rest of us. Obviously some elected officials are not like us.

Just a reminder, the $75,000 fine, although a record fine for the TEC, was paid with Eversole's donors' money, not his own. And the $41,000+ he had to refund is just a fraction of the $160,000+ that was identified in the TEC complaint.

No Ethics. No Integrity.

Eversole claimed he donated many of the personal items to charity, but only after being caught. It is like a bank robber giving back what he stole and paying a fine with the very same money he stole. If this is the type of integrity the PID is providing to the citizens of Harris County, maybe they should just dissolve the entire division.

The TEC's fine and slap on Eversole's wrist is an embarrassment. A $75,000 fine will not stop public officials from breaking the law when the fine can be paid with their donors' money. The TEC could have and should have levied this fine on Eversole himself, not his campaign.

And, lets not leave out Judge Emmett who encouraged Eversole to run for re-election instead of demanding his resignation. Seriously, what does an elected official have to do?

Public Integrity Division
Just an FYI. Local bloggers broke the story about Houston City Councilman-elect Al Hoang's  numerous violations in his campaign report, his dual homestead exemption, and that he probably was not a legal resident for the office he won. Terese Buess, who wrote the letter above, was quoted by the Houston Chronicle:

Terese Buess, chief of the Harris County district attorney's public integrity division, declined to comment about Hoang. She said her office, which has investigated public officials' residency questions in the past, does not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation until charges or an indictment is filed.

If the PID refuses to investigate a county commissioner spending $160,000 of his donors money for a cow and personal items, what do you think are the chances they will investigate a city council member?

Probably zero to none.