Perry & Hecht Perpetuate DeLay Style Atmosphere of Corruption
(Austin, TX)-Today, Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie joined the call for State Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht to recuse himself from a case involving Republican mega-donor Bob Perry. Hecht received $16,000 from HillCo PAC, a political group funded primarily by homebuilder Perry, just days before the Court began hearing arguments on a case involving Perry Homes. Multiple rulings by an arbitrator and lower courts awarded the plaintiffs, an older couple experiencing structural problems with their home, $800,000 in damages, which Perry refuses to pay. [Dallas Morning News, 4/4/07]
"Nathan Hecht and Bob Perry are perpetuating the atmosphere of scandal and corruption that has continued to plague Texas under Republican control," said Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie. "This is classic pay-to-play Tom DeLay-style politics where the elected officials are up for sale and their special interest donors have plenty of cash to bid. It's a sad day when Bob Perry finds it much easier to buy off judges than to actually comply with their ruling."
As the Dallas Morning News reported yesterday, Hecht received the contribution from HillCo after he solicited donors to defray $340,000 in legal costs he incurred defending himself against charges of judicial ethics violations. Hecht was accused of using his public office to assist the White House in advancing the botched U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers.
This is another example of the DeLay/GOP culture of corruption that has infiltrated Texas's courtrooms. Amid allegations of illegal campaign activity, former Congressman Tom DeLay's lawyer insisted District Judge Bob Perkins step down from the case because of his ties to Democratic groups that opposed DeLay.
"The public perception of Judge Perkins' activities shows him to be on opposite sides of the political fence than Tom DeLay," defense attorney Dick DeGuerin argued. [Augusta Chronicle, 11/2/05]
But DeGuerin dismissed any claims of impropriety when the task of naming a replacement judge went to Supreme Court Justice and Republican loyalist Wallace Jefferson, who happened to be closely associated with DeLay and his indicted co-conspirators.
"So what?" said DeLay's lawyer Dick DeGuerin. [Austin American-Statesman, 11/4/05]
"Though Texans are rid of Tom DeLay, Bob Perry's attempt to pay off the Supreme Court and Nathan Hecht's refusal to step down from this case proves that DeLay's legacy of corruption lives on," added Richie. "Rather than play by the rules like every other Texan, Republicans will simply change them in the middle of the game to serve their political needs. No wonder Texas voters are losing faith in one-party Republican rule. "
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