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Candidate Lost Custody Over Abuse
Candidate Lost Custody Over Abuse
District 6 Council candidate Don Zimmerman
injured, alienated daughter, court records state
Investigative Report by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2014
Posted Thursday October 9, 2014 3:10pm
Updated Wednesday October 15, 2014 7:42pm
Editor’s note: Don Zimmerman, through his attorney Stephen Casey, on October 10, 2014, sent a letter to The Austin Bulldog stating this article published October 9 subjected Zimmerman to defamation and demanded retraction. There is no reason for The Austin Bulldog to retract its report about the judicial proceeding that Zimmerman was involved in earlier this year.
The Austin Bulldog does listen to criticism of its reports, in this case, like all others. Therefore, in the interest of making this report the best possible fair, true, and impartial account of information contained in court records, we have updated it with additions (shown in underlined text) and deletions (shown in text with strikethroughs).
The update also includes a link to the Docket Sheet, which is the Travis County District Clerk’s official record of every action taken in this District Court case. Examination of the Docket Sheet, along with the records already linked to this report, reflects the fact that The Austin Bulldog had already published and made accessible to readers every substantive court filing made this year, starting with Casey’s filing for client Zimmerman of the Respondent’s Motion to Enter Final Order on March 10, 2014. All of the remaining court records and orders that were the basis of the story are included in the links below.
District 6 candidate Donald Shelly “Don” Zimmerman, founder of the Travis County Taxpayers Union, is an aggressive leader who as president of a municipal utility district brought two lawsuits, one of which resulted in winning a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
But aggression in disciplining his then 12-year-old daughter, Marina Zimmerman, resulted in documented physical and emotional damage and permanent loss of parental rights through civil court action. Although by court order he remains a “parent possessory conservator,” with rights to certain information about his daughter, the order explicitly states that Don Zimmerman “shall have no possession of or access to” the minor child, who is now 15 years of age. Absent Zimmerman obtaining a new court order, such denial of access is permanent while the order is in effect.
The petition that led to the court order states, “Respondent (Zimmerman) has a history and pattern of physical and emotional abuse directed against M.Z. (daughter Marina Zimmerman).”
In response to the petition, an Agreed Order issued by the court June 16, 2014, states, “The Court finds that the material allegations in the petition to modify are true and the requested modification is in the best interest of the child. IT IS ORDERED that the requested modification is GRANTED.”
The court records of the proceedings in 2014 contain no evidence that Zimmerman contested the allegations of having a history and pattern of physical and emotional abuse of his daughter. In fact, Zimmerman signed the Agreed Order beneath this statement: “APPROVED AND CONSENTED TO AS TO BOTH FORM AND SUBSTANCE.”
Yet in an interview for this story as originally published Zimmerman repeatedly characterized the allegations as lies. His protestations are left intact in this update so that readers can judge the facts for themselves.
Three documented incidents
Candidates Rich and Poor Competing
Candidates Rich and Poor Competing
Occupational income, investments, debts, real estate,
business interests, and much more detailed in filings
Investigative Report by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2014
Posted Tuesday, September 30, 2014 2:54pm
Updated Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:52am to add Delia Garza’s loans to her campaign
Updated Thursday October 2, 2014 6:07am to identify Jimmy Paver as a District 7 candidate
Mayoral candidate Stephen Ira “Steve” Adler is clearly the wealthiest candidate running for city office, while his two chief opponents, incumbent Council Members Sheryl Nelson Cole and Michael William “Mike” Martinez, are merely well off, comparatively speaking, based on a review of their sworn financial statements.
These financial statements are separate and apart from the contribution and expenditure reports required in connection with election campaigns.
Personal resources provide a significant advantage if candidates choose to invest in their campaigns. But that advantage is diminished if not accompanied by the work it takes to build a broad base of support.
Campaigns are not won with checkbooks alone, but according to Campaign Finance Reports filed July 15, which reflected fundraising and expenditures through June 30, 21 candidates had already loaned their campaigns a combined half-million dollars—$509,926 (not $504,911 as first stated) to be exact. (More about that later.) The next batch of campaign finance reports, due October 5, will no doubt reflect even more personal spending to finance political ambitions.
The Austin Bulldog’s investigation of personal finances illustrates the vastly different resources the candidates can bring to bear as they race toward the November 4 election. And to carry them through to the December 16 runoff—if they make the initial cut. This analysis indicates the candidates range from the mega-wealthy to the downright poor. One of the candidates reported drawing unemployment benefits last year.
Shining light in dark corners
Districts 6 & 10 Clean Energy Forum
Districts 6 & 10 Clean Energy Forum
First of a half-dozen opportunities for
candidates to outline energy strategies
by Joseph Caterine
© The Austin Bulldog 2014
Posted Tuesday September 18, 2014 2:41pm
A few dozen people braved the rainy weather last Friday night to attend the first in a series of City Council candidate forums about one of the City's most valuable assets: Austin Energy. The low turnout and rainfall did not dampen the lively discussion of the issues.
District 6 and 10 candidates mingled with district residents on the second floor of the Rissman Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church, surrounded by darkened stain-glass windows and vacant chairs.
Phillip Martin, deputy director at Progress Texas, an organization that promotes progressive ideals, welcomed attendees as the moderator of the event and emphasized that this was a forum, not a debate. Candidates would have a chance to make one-minute opening and closing speeches, and they would have to answer a series of questions relating to Austin Energy with varying time limits.
District 6 candidates
The District 6 candidates started the opening remarks. Matt Stillwell, whose campaign website states that he founded a marketing firm and an insurance company,talked about living in all the different parts of Austin over the course of his life, and his service in various community groups, including the Oversight Committee of the Round Rock Independent School District, and his neighborhood's Architectural Control Committee.
Jimmy Flannigan said the relationships he has built through working with the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce made him stand out among the other candidates.
District 10 candidates
Budget Gives Stealth Pay Boost
Budget Gives Stealth Pay Boost
An obscure 2006 ordinance gives policy
makers same raise as the rank-and-file
by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2014
Posted Wednesday September 10, 2014 3:05pm
The Austin City Council yesterday adopted an annual budget of some $3.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2014-2015, with Mayor Lee Leffingwell casting the only “no” vote.
Tucked inside was a hidden pay bump for these elected officials.
The current incumbents will enjoy the 3.5 percent pay raise for just a few months, starting October 1. The raise will mainly benefit the newly elected mayor and 10 council members who are scheduled to take office when inaugurated at 6pm Tuesday January 6, 2015, in Council Chambers.
The mayor’s annual salary goes from $79,601 to $82,387, an increase of $2,786, by The Austin Bulldog’s calculations (the City’s public information office was not able to obtain an official figure from the Human Resources Department in time for this story).
The council members’ salaries rise from $67,695 to $70,064, an increase of $2,369 (also our calculation).
There was no public notice of the raises.
Investigative Reports
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