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Travis County Attorney

City staff failed to stop mayor from misusing city resources

City staff failed to prevent Mayor Steve Adler from making candidate endorsements that were aired live on a city-run television station last December, on the first day of early voting, even though he told them beforehand that that’s what he intended to do when he got in front of the cameras.

Background Investigation: Comparing the candidates for Travis County Attorney

Laurie Eiserloh vs Delia Garza  by Daniel Van Oudenaren and Ken MartinCareer change is nothing new for Delia Garza, a current Austin City Council Member...

Denton endorses Eiserloh for county attorney

Denton backing gives Eislerloh a leg up in May 26th runoff against Delia Garza County Attorney candidate Mike Denton, a judge who resigned to run...

Deferred Prosecution Ends Open Meetings Investigation

  • Deferred Prosecution Ends Open Meetings Investigation
  •  
  • Mayor and five current council members sign agreements
  • waiving the statute of limitations and requiring major reforms
  •  
  • by Ken Martin
  • © The Austin Bulldog 2012
  • Posted Wednesday, October 24, 2012 11:54pm

The Austin City Council Members Subject to the County Attorney’s Investigation: Riley, Cole, Shade, Leffingwell, Morrison, Spelman, Martinez

David EscamillaTravis County Attorney David Escamilla today issued a seven-page press release to announce the results of an investigation that began 21 months ago into the question of whether then-members of the Austin City Council violated the Texas Open Meetings Act.

 â€śThis investigation was always about compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) and other legal standards requiring transparency at City Hall, which are crucial to ensuring a government that is accountable and responsive to its citizens,” Escamilla’s statement says.

The investigation found no evidence of corruption, but voluminous proof of communications among the mayor and council members by every means possible, the sum of which violate the criminal provisions of the Act.

The agreements signed by each elected official affirm long lists of detailed, specific communications among the council members that constitute probable cause. These include specific dates on which a quorum of the council communicated face-to-face, in phone calls, and via e-mail and text messages.

Bulldog’s Complaint Dismissed

Posted Friday, April 22, 2011 4:21pm
County Attorney’s Office ‘Cannot Determine’
City of Austin Committed Alleged Violations

Bulldog’s Complaint Was the First Presented
for Violation of Texas Pubic Information Act

by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2011

The Travis County attorney’s office today issued a response to The Austin Bulldog’s complaint that alleged the City of Austin had violated the Texas Public Information Act by withholding public information.

The letter signed by James W. Collins, executive assistant Travis County attorney, states that the county attorney’s office “cannot determine that the violations alleged in your complaint were committed by the City of Austin.”

The letter states that this was a first complaint received by the Travis County Attorney’s office that was filed under Section 552.3215 of the Texas Public Information Act.

Attorney Bill Aleshire of Riggs Aleshire and Ray LP, who represented The Austin Bulldog in this matter, said, “This decision does not say the county attorney’s office exonerated the city, just that the county attorney’s office could not determine that the violations occurred as worded in the complaint.