► TX Rep. Larry Taylor’s Hyperbolic (BS) response/defense to double-dipping Print E-mail
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TX Rep. Larry Taylor’s Hyperbolic (BS) response/defense to double-dipping

 
Recently, Rep. Taylor discovered that I was in the process of filing a complaint alleging the he was pocketing expense reimbursements from the State of Texas even though his campaign had paid said expenses. Subsequently, Taylor had his Chief of Staff, Cari Christman Ott communicate with me via email on several occasions.
 
To view the complaint I filed with the Travis County (Austin) DA, go to http://tinyurl.com/28ezvbp.
 
On Nov 18, 2010, Taylor’s office sent me a PDF file containing the following documents:
  • 2006 – Spreadsheet listing expense reimbursements paid to Taylor by the State
  • 2007 – Spreadsheet listing expense reimbursements paid to Taylor by the State
  • Jan/Dec 2007 – Wells Fargo campaign checking account statement
  • Dec 2007 – Taylor’s Wells Fargo campaign checking account statement
I was miffed at why Rep. Taylor was unable or unwilling to produce bank records for 2008, 2009 and 2010 when they would be much more readily available then dated ones from 2007. This is especially true since he was reimbursed nearly $17,000 from the state during the aforementioned period of time.
 
My review of Rep. Taylor’s 2007 spreadsheet and bank statements raise more questions than they answer. Put simply, the amounts he claims he received from the State don’t match the payments listed on his spreadsheet as well as amounts he claimed he repaid to his campaign from his personal account. Those glaring discrepancies are set forth at the end of this article.
 
Questions that clearly need to be answered by Rep. Taylor
 
  • Why did you limit your production of bank statements to me to Jan/Dec 2007?
  • Why didn’t you provide me with relevant bank statements for 2008, 2009 and 2010?
  • Why did it take you 3 weeks to produce 2 monthly bank statements?
  • Why did you wait until Dec 31, 2007 to reimburse your campaign for payments you received from the state in 2005 and through Oct 2007?
  • Since Dec 2007, have you reimbursed your campaign for any interest you received in your personal account representing funds paid to you by the State, and if not, why?
  • When (what date) were the 2006 and 2007 spreadsheets prepared that you provided to me?
  • Why didn’t you provide me with spreadsheets for 2008, 2009 and 2010?
  • Why does your 2007 spreadsheet fail to disclose all payments you received from the State?
Watchdawg’s Conclusions
 
At this stage of the proceedings, I am unable to say with certainty that Rep. Taylor is for lack of a better term a thief. However, based on the meager documents he obviously chose (clearly cherry picked) to provide to me, I am also unable to grant him a “clean bill of health.”
 
If I was being dogged by reporters and/or a watchdog such as myself with allegations that I had double billed the state, I can assure you that I would have immediately taken the following affirmative steps to prove my innocence. Towards that end I would have at a minimum instructed my staff too:
 
Download copies of all monthly bank statements from my personal/campaign accounts at Wells Fargo, with appropriate redactions
Make copies of all spreadsheets containing receipts from the State and reimbursements from my account to the campaign from 2005 through Oct 2010
Copy all expense claims submitted to the State and/or House Administrator from 2005 to 2010
 
I would then have instructed my staff to prepare a document fully explaining the methodology involved in reimbursing my campaign and provided it along with copies of the aforementioned records to the media and/or to Watchdawg Palmer.
 
By not so acting, Rep. Taylor has clearly called into question the question of his guilt or innocence. It is difficult to imagine why Taylor didn’t do most if not all of the things addressed above. Had he so acted, I wouldn’t be addressing this matter today.
 
Taylor’s 2007 spreadsheet re: lodging/meal payments from State v Comptroller Records
 
Taylor spreadsheet re: lodging/meal reimbursements from State
  1. $142.22 – April 2007
  2. $619.80 – July 2007
  3. $721.95 – August 2007
Comptroller records for lodging/meals payments to Taylor
 
The following state reimbursements are not disclosed on Taylor’s spreadsheet, all of which were paid by his campaign
 
$454.53– 11/04/07 – Rio Suites, Las Vegas – NCOIL – campaign payment
12/20/07 - $417.00 – state paid to Taylor for out-of-state expenses
12/20/07 - $37.73 – state paid to Taylor for incidental out-of-state expenses
$454.53 = Total of 2 state payments to Taylor
 
$509.79 – 07/23/07 – Sheraton Hotel, Seattle – NCOIL – campaign payment
10/30/07 - $441.00 – paid to Taylor for out-of-state expenses
10/30/07 - $68.79 – state paid to Taylor for incidental out-of-state expenses
$509.79 = Total of 2 state payments to Taylor
 
December 2007 airfares paid to Taylor by Comptroller
 
$253.50 = amount shown on Taylor’s 2007 spreadsheet
$1,845.40 = amount paid to Taylor per Comptroller’s payment records
 
October 2007 airfares paid to Taylor by Comptroller
$374.20 = amount shown on Taylor’s spreadsheet
$1,317.70 = amount paid to Taylor per Comptroller’s payment records
 
Total Dec 2007 reimbursements claimed on Taylor’s spreadsheet
$253.30 = total amount Taylor claims state reimbursed him in Dec
$2,809.72 = total amount paid by state to Taylor in Dec
 
Dec 31, 2007 discrepancies re: Taylor’s deposits into campaign account
 
The Dec 31 Wells Fargo campaign account statement shows two deposits on Dec 31, which Taylor claims were made from his personal account and are as follows:
 
12/31/07 = $17,509.35
12/31/07 = $2,889.45
 
However, Taylor’s Wells Fargo personal account statement only shows the $17,509.34 deposit. This clearly begs the question as to whether the bank statements Taylor provided to me are true and accurate copies of what he and his campaign actually received from Wells Fargo.

 

 

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