| When we first wrote about the ghost worker attack Craddick launched on House members, we knew it was a story that would only serve to hurt Craddick and his allies.
It appears Craddick's miscalculation has hurt one of his top Lieutenants, Tony Goolsby, and now Rep. Lon Burnam wants to make sure Terry Keel is earning his $140,000 pay check.
In a letter to Chairman Larry Philips, Rep. Lon Burnam requested a full, impartial investigation of the entire house, including, Speaker Craddick, his employees, his Chairpersons, and his allies. In the hopes that the entire House is help to the same standards.
The letter points to Keel as the biggest example.
As you know, the House Parliamentarian, Terry Keel, is a "permanent full-time" employee of the Texas House earning nearly $140,000 a year. If Speaker Craddick is going to use taxpayer dollars to investigate three of his foes for employees earning a few hundred dollars a month, the importance of ensuring taxpayers that a $140,000 a year employee-- a substantially higher cost to the state-- is actually dedicating 40 hours per week tot the Texas House over and above his own criminal defense firm cannot be overstate.
Additionally, I would greatly appreciate assurance that whatever system Speaker Craddick currently uses to track work time of his employees, including those with outside employment and those running for elected office, will be included in your investigation.
As always, you can read the full letter here.
We are also going to help Chairman Phillips if we can. While the Chairman is looking into these allegations, please feel free to send us any pictures you have of Terry Keel or any Craddick staffer not doing their job during the hours of 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. (typical work hours).
Pictures can be sent to me directly at Matt@BurntOrangeReport.com and I will notarize and send certified copies of them all to the Chairman and any other appropriate sources. The best picture will win either an iTunes gift card or a box of Tiff's Treats too! |
