| ► Texas State Senator Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso; scofflaw, ethical gremlin |
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Texas State Senator Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso; scofflaw, ethical gremlin Texas State Senator Eliot Shapleigh is yet another ethical twerp that has used campaign funds for personal use.
On March 5, 2009, the Texas Ethics Commission found Judge Adolph Canales of Dallas guilty of converting campaign funds for personal use when he repeatedly paid for subscriptions to the Wall Street Journal and various magazines. (http:tinyurl.com/yhssz75)
In its ruling, the Texas Ethics Commission ruled that a subscription to the Wall Street Journal primarily furthers personal purposes and is not connected with the activates of an officeholder.
From 2006 through March 2009, Senator Eliot Shapleigh violated Texas Ethics Laws by using campaign funds to pay for subscriptions to the Washington Post as shown below.
From 2002 through June 2009, Senator Eliot Shapleigh violated Texas Ethics Laws by unlawfully using $3,012.16 in campaign funds to pay for subscriptions to the New York Times. In addition to being a scofflaw, Senator Eliot Shapleigh is also a cheapskate in that he refused to personally pay $223.46 in 2008 for subscriptions to the NY Times and Washington Post even though he heads a law firm in El Paso. What a loser!
The use of campaign funds by Senator Eliot Shapleigh to pay for subscriptions to the Washington Post and the New York Times have absolutely nothing to do with his official officeholder duties. Put simply, Senator Eliot Shapleigh’s violation of Texas law is no different than that of Judge Adolph Canales of Dallas.
Senator Eliot Shapleigh cannot reasonably defend his illegal conduct by claiming “ignorance of the law,” since he’s a lawyer. As a lawyer, one would think that Senator Eliot Shapleigh would not have experienced any difficulty in understanding the prohibition against converting campaign funds to personal use, right?
Senator Eliot Shapleigh has the chutzpah to state on his official web sit that “As an advocate for El Paso and other border communities, he is also interested in raising per capita income and boosting economic prosperity along the Texas Border.” In truth, Senator Eliot Shapleigh is most concerned about “boosting” his personal prosperity by illegally hosing his contributors for the cost to subscribe to the NY Times and Washington Post.
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