WFAA television in the Dallas/Fort-Worth media market reports that Republican Linda Harper-Brown, currently the State Representative in District 105 in Irving, drives a $55,000 Mercedes Benz owned by an influential highway contractor that does over $12 million dollars in business with the State of Texas. Harper-Brown sits on the highly influential Transportation Committee.
The Texas Values in Action Coalition, a North Texas based Political Action Committee, uncovered a number of the nitty-gritty details and have turned evidence over to the U.S. Attorney's office in Dallas.
You'll recall that Republican Linda Harper-Brown was re-elected to this Irving-based House Seat by only 19 votes in 2008. Democrat Loretta Haldenwang, a stellar candidate supported by Annie's List, is challenging Republican Harper-Brown. House District 105 is one of a handful of targeted House seats that Democrats are putting forward well-credentialed and aggressive candidates in an effort to win back the Texas House.
This just has not been a good week for Texas Republicans.
Earlier this week Republican Stefani Carter, challenging Carol Kent in HD-102, had questions about her honesty and integrity spring forward for embellishing on her resume and plagiarizing President Obama's famous 2004 DNC Convention speech.
Rick Perry's campaign failed miserably on an attempted press conference stunt at the Travis County Coordinated Campaign headquarters for Democrats in which Bill White supporters drowned out Perry's minions with chants of "Debate Bill Now!"
Republican Joe Barton cemented the cozy relationship between Big Oil and the GOP due to Barton's apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward during his congressional testimony yesterday. Republican Barton was later forced by Republican leadership to apologize to the American people or lose his leadership position, but only after clearly demonstrating that the GOP will defend BP and not AP (American people).
And now Republican Linda Harper-Brown brings forward serious questions about her integrity and whether or not, ethically speaking, she should be driving a car paid for by a highway contractor who has millions of dollars in business deals with the State of Texas. With the additional caveat that Republican Harper-Brown sits on the powerful and influential House Transportation Committee.
What a really, really bad week for Texas Republicans.
Update:TDP Chairman Boyd Richie has called on Republican Speaker Joe Strauss to remove Harper-Brown from the Transportation Committee:
"It appears Linda Harper-Brown has profited by securing luxury vehicles in return for doing legislative favors for an industry with business before her committee," said Richie. "Speaker Straus should remove her from the Transportation Committee until a time when these charges have been addressed."
"If this information proves true, Linda Harper-Brown ran a legal and ethical red light, and she could no longer properly represent hardworking Texans who pay for their own cars and trucks with an honest day's work," Richie concluded.
