► Is Texas Rep. Larry Taylor guilty of double billing the State for reimbursements? |
Is Texas Rep. Larry Taylor guilty of double billing the State for reimbursements? Yes Indeedy!!
Below is a copy of a letter sent to the Travis County District Attorney detailing over 100 instances wherein Texas State Rep. Larry Taylor billed the State of Texas for reimbursements for travel expenses despite the fact that said expenses were paid by his campaign.
Dave Palmer
The Watchdawg
URL: www.noethics.net
November 15, 2010
Hon. Rosemary Lehmberg
Travis County District Attorney
Re: State Rep. Larry Taylor Double-Billing for $31,952.27
Dear Mr. Ms. Lehmberg:
Please consider this an official complaint that I’m filing against state Rep. Larry Taylor. My review of Rep. Taylor’s campaign expenses along with records of payments he received from the Texas State Comptroller indicates that he received identical payments for the same travel-related expenses on multiple occasions-including 90 air fares.
The records reflect that Rep. Taylor often paid travel-related expenses from his campaign account and then received identical reimbursements from the state of Texas for the same expenses. In other words: Double billing… See Exhibit A attached hereto which contains 10 text boxes detailing Taylor’s double billings.
My review of his campaign expense reports and payments he received from the Texas Comptroller based on travel expense claims he submitted to the House Administration Office are as follows: (color copy on my web site at http://tinyurl.com/28ezvbp)
Ø $23,503.23 = 90 double billings for airfares
Ø $6,204.29 = 12 double billings for lodging/hotel expenses
Ø $1,960.00 = 5 double billings for conference registration fees
Ø $186.00 = 1 double billed State per diem for 03/30/10
Ø $98.75 – 1 double billing for car rental
Ø $31,952.27 = Total of 109 double billings
Rep. Taylor’s Schedule “K” filings, which are meant to report “credits,” disclose that he never made any reimbursements to his campaign regarding said double billings. Such filings are apparently optional according to the Texas Ethics Commission.
Hypothetically speaking, if Taylor claims he reimbursed his campaign, the balances in his campaign account should reflect that fact. From 2004 to Oct 2010, Taylor’s campaign records show a total of $635,565.35 in contributions and $508,932.97 in expenditures, thereby leaving a “cash-on-hand” balance of $126,632.38 as of Oct 23, 2010. The balance should be about $30,000 higher (156,000) if he had reimbursed his campaign after receiving state payments for said expenses.
Is Rep. Taylor’s conduct criminal in nature?
The multiple billings suggest conduct resulting in Class A misdemeanors or state jail felony charges based on Sec. 39.02 of the Texas Penal Code, Abuse of Official Capacity, which states in pertinent part:
(a) A public servant commits an offense if, with intent to obtain a benefit…or defraud another, he intentionally or knowingly:
(2) Misuses government property…or any other thing of value belonging to the government that has come into the public servant’s custody or possession by virtue of the public servant’s office or employment.
(c) An offense under Subsection (a)(2) is:
(2) A Class B misdemeanor if the value is $20 or more but less than $500
(3) A Class A misdemeanor if value is $500 or more but less than $1,500
(4) State felony if value is $1,500 or more but less than $20,000
I firmly believe that Rep. Taylor’s conduct was criminal because when he submitted expense claims to the State and subsequently pocketed them, he absolutely knew his campaign had already paid those expenses. In short, he clearly defrauded the state when he failed to direct the House Administration Office and/or the State Comptroller to issue reimbursement checks to his campaign account.
To suggest that Taylor did not knowingly defraud the State by obtaining a monetary benefit by billing and collecting expenses he never paid is in my opinion without merit.
To be fair to Rep. Taylor, he’s not the only State Legislator afflicted with “Taylor-ism” that has engaged in this egregious misconduct. As of this writing I am not able to disclose the names of these miscreants and/or amounts involved; I expect I will be able to do so shortly. As they say, stay tuned!
If there is anything I can do to assist you in resolving this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.
Respectfully yours,
______________________
Dave Palmer
The Watchdawg
Exhibit “A”
Text Box No. 1 – Misc. Double-Billing by Taylor
Paid by Campaign Same Amt Paid to Taylor
Text Box No. 2 – Misc. Double-Billing by Taylor
Paid by Campaign Taylor submits to State
Text Box No. 3 – 2010 Airfare
Fares paid by Campaign Identical Fares paid to Taylor
Text Box No. 4– Additional 2010 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign Billed to State by Taylor
Text Box No. 5 – 2009 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign Identical Fares paid to Taylor
Text Box No. 6 – 2008 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign Identical Fares paid to Taylor
Text Box No. 7– 2007 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign Identical Fares paid to Taylor
Text Box No. 8– Additional 2007 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign and then billed to State by Taylor
Text Box No. 9 – 2006 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign and reimbursed to Taylor by State
Text Box No. 10 – 2005 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign and reimbursed to Taylor by State
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