Montgomery County Monitor (Montgomery County, TX) – The Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) received a sworn complaint dated November 10, 2006 from Montgomery County resident, Tom Curry. The complaint alleged that Texas State Representative Rob Eissler, “converted political contributions to personal use…” and “used political contributions to purchase real property or to pay the interest on or principal of a note for the purchase of real property…” The complaint met the technical form requirements and it was determined that indeed the TEC does have jurisdiction over the alleged violations.
The Commission stated the complaint will be processed as a Category Two violation. According to state statutes, a complaint is classified as a Category One violation if it is generally not difficult to ascertain whether the violation occurred or whether it did not occur. Category One violations require a response from the accused within 10 business days.
All complaints that do not meet the definition of a Category One violation are automatically classified as a Category Two violation. Category Two violations give the respondent 25 business days to respond to the allegations.
It is believed that a final disposition of this complaint has not yet been determined.
Penalties handed out by the TEC for violations are civil in nature and can vary widely.
The TEC was created in 1991 by an amendment to the Texas Constitution. Some of the TEC responsibilities include administering and enforcing the following:
Title 15 of the Election Code including political campaigns and contributions.
Chapter 305 of the Government Code including lobbyist reports and activities.
Chapter 572 of the Government Code including personal financial disclosure and conduct of state officers and employees.
Related Information
Texas Ethics Commission
Representative Rob Eissler
TEC Notice Of Complaint – Eissler
