► Is Texas Rep. Larry Taylor guilty of double billing the State for reimbursements? Print
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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
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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
 
Item
 
Date
Paid by
Campaign
 
Submits
to State
Amt paid
by State
 
1
Hotel
03/08/10
$469.38
 
04/08/10
$469.38
1
2
Hotel
11/01/09
$191.65
 
11/09/09
$191.65
2
3
Car Rent
11/04/09
$98.75
 
11/09/09
$98.75
3
4
Hotel
02/27/08
$682.44
 
04/30/08 
$682.44
4
5
Hotel
07/09/08
$902.88
 
09/26/08
$902.88
5
6
Hotel
07/30/08
$268.88
 
09/26/08
$268.88
6
7
Hotel
07/23/07
$509.79
 
10/30/07
$509.79
7
8
Hotel
08/10/07
$721.95
 
10/29/07 
$721.95
8
9
Hotel
11/04/07
$454.53
 
12/20/07
$454.53
9
 
 
 
$4,300.25
 
 
$4,300.25
 

 

 

Text Box No. 2 – Misc. Double-Billing by Taylor
                                                       Paid by Campaign                                                             Taylor submits to State
 
Item
Date
Paid by
Campaign
 
Submits
to State
Amt Billed
to State
 
1
Reg. Fee
05/24/10
$350.00
 
04/07/10
$350.00
1
2
Reg. Fee
06/07/10
$510.00
 
09/02/10
$510.00
2
3
Hotel
07/12/10
$557.58
 
07/23/10
$545.91
3
4
Reg. Fee
10/18/10
$350.00
 
07/23/10
$350.00
4
5
Hotel
08/02/10
$616.44
 
08/25/10
$616.44
5
6
Hotel
08/09/10
$739.77
 
09/02/10
$739.77
6
7
Hotel
05/18/10
$89.00
 
05/24/10
$89.00
7
8
Reg. Fee
04/21/09
$375.00
 
08/05/09
$375.00
8
9
Car Rent
07/11/09
$196.75
 
08/05/09
$196.75
9
10
Reg. Fee
07/30/08
$375.00
 
07/30/08
$375.00
10
 
 
 
$4,147.87
 
 
$4,147.87
 

 

 

Text Box No. 3 – 2010 Airfare
                                         Fares paid by Campaign                                                          Identical Fares paid to Taylor
 
Date
Amt
Exp No.
 
Date
Amt/State
Pay No.
 
1
01/29
$349.40
F-112
 
04/08
$349.40
10950
1
2
03/12
$115.70
F-141
 
04/08
$115.70
1973
2
3
03/30
$142.70
F-160
 
04/08
$142.70
1974
3
4
03/22
$266.90
F-147
 
04/08
$266.90
1975
4
5
04/12
$259.90
F-164
 
04/27
$259.90
1977
5
6
04/22/26
$575.80
F-169/171
 
05/17
$575.80
1978
6
 
 
$1,710.40
 
 
 
$1,710.40
 
 

 

 

 

Text Box No. 4– Additional 2010 Airfares
                                         Fares paid by Campaign                                                            Billed to State by Taylor
 
Date
Amt
Exp No.
 
Date
Amt
Doc. No.
 
1
05/26
$248.90
F-186
 
06/09
$248.90
10024253
1
2
05/21
$474.80
F-181
 
08/19
$474.80
10024794
2
3
06/24
$386.10
F-199
 
07/23
$386.10
10024505
3
 
 
$1,109.80
 
 
 
$1,109.80
 
 
 
 
Text Box No. 5 – 2009 Airfares
                                      Fares paid by Campaign                                                         Identical Fares paid to Taylor
 
Date
Amt/Camp
Exp No.
 
Date
Amt/State
Pay No.
 
1
01/12
$273.70
F-222/23
 
01/15
$273.70
1945
1
2
02/05
$251.70
F-224
 
02/11
$251.70
1946
2
3
02/25
$251.70
F-225
 
02/26
$251.70
1948
3
4
03/05
$273.70
F-226
 
03/12
$273.70
1950
4
5
03/11
$137.60
F-227
 
03/20
$137.60
1951
5
6
03/23
$229.70
F-228
 
04/02
$229.70
1952
6
7
03/30
$251.70
F-229
 
04/08
$251.70
1953
7
8
04/06
$222.70
F-230
 
04/20
$222.70
1954
8
9
04/16
$251.70
F-234
 
05/01
$251.70
1955
9
10
05/06
$275.70
F-231
 
05/14
$275.70
1956
10
11
05/11
$229.70
F-232
 
05/21
$229.70
1957
11
12
06/10
$269.20
F-218
 
08/06
$269.20
10947
12
 
 
$2,918.80
 
 
 
$2,918.80
 
 
 
Text Box No. 6 – 2008 Airfares
                                          Fares paid by Campaign                                                        Identical Fares paid to Taylor
 
Date
Amt/Camp
Exp No.
 
Date
Amt/State
Pay No.
 
1
01/4/9
$507.00
F-17/21
 
04/30
$507.00
1928
1
2
01/23/25
$507.00
F-44/50
 
04/30
$507.00
1929
2
3
03/10
$253.50
F-55
 
04/30
$253.50
1926
3
4
03/19
$253.50
F-64
 
04/30
$253.50
1927
4
5
05/6/21
$515.00
F-76/80
 
08/12
$515.00
1933
5
6
04/29
$257.50
F-74
 
08/12
$257.50
1931
6
7
07/08
$131.00
F-38
 
09/26
$131.00
1935
7
8
07/10
$269.50
F-64
 
09/26
$269.50
1936
8
9
07/14
$213.50
F-39
 
10/06
$213.50
1938
9
10
07/30
$319.50
F-37
 
09/26
$319.50
10944
10
11
08/21
$506.00
F-23
 
09/26
$506.50
1937
11
12
09/08
$219.50
F-26
 
10/13
$219.50
1939
12
13
11/06
$117.50
F-51
 
11/26
$117.50
1942
13
 
 
$4,070.00
 
 
 
$4,070.50
 
 
 
 
Text Box No. 7– 2007 Airfares
                                       Fares paid by Campaign                                                         Identical Fares paid to Taylor
 
Date
Amt.
Exp. No.
 
Date
Amt.
Pay No.
 
1
06/02
$118.90
F-78
 
12/20
$118.90
1921
1
2
08/08
$803.70
F-101
 
10/30
$603.70
10940
2
3
08/21
$241.30
F-126
 
12/20
$241.30
1923
3
4
09/19
$243.30
F-138
 
12/20
$243.20
1924
4
5
10/10
$748.80
F-144
 
12/20
$746.80
10942
5
 
 
$2,156.00
 
 
 
$1,953.90
 
 
 

 

Text Box No. 8– Additional 2007 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign and then billed to State by Taylor
 
Date
Amt
Exp No.
 
Date
Amt
Exp. No.
 
1
01/19
$233.01
F-89
 
01/29
$233.01
F-128
2
3
02/05
$233.01
F-88
 
02/12
$233.01
F-90
4
5
02/19
$232.86
F-22
 
03/05
$232.86
F-24
6
7
04/13
$239.30
F-27
 
03/12
$232.86
F-26
8
9
04/23
$115.90
F-29
 
05/01
$239.30
F-31
10
11
05/07
$239.30
F-32
 
05/18
$239.30
F-76
12
13
05/29
$120.40
F-79
 
06/12
$239.30
F-75
14
15
07/10
$239.30
F-97
 
07/16
$239.30
F-98
16
 
 
$1,653.08
 
 
 
$1,888.94
 
 
 
Text Box No. 9 – 2006 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign and reimbursed to Taylor by State
 
Date
Amt
Exp No.
 
Date
Amt
Exp. No.
 
1
01/03
$114.70
F-75
 
01/09
$234.10
F-77
2
3
01/11
$234.10
F-86
 
02/08
$234.10
F-84
4
5
03/16
$114.80
F-93
 
03/20
$234.10
F-94
6
7
04/05
$234.10
F-97
 
04/20
$119.30
F-98
8
9
04/21
$119.30
F-101
 
04/21
$114.80
F-100
10
11
04/24
$114.80
F-102
 
04/27
$234.10
F-103
12
13
05/08
$234.10
F-106
 
05/12
$119.30
F-112
14
15
05/12
$114.80
F-113
 
05/15
$114.80
F-114
16
17
05/15
$119.30
F-111
 
05/25
$234.10
F-115
18
19
12/06
$229.60
F-52
 
12/06
$234.10
F-51
20
21
12/06
$229.81
F-53
 
12/06
$654.10
F-54
22
 
 
$1,859.41
 
 
 
$2,526.90
 
 
 
Text Box No. 10 – 2005 Airfares
Fares paid by Campaign and reimbursed to Taylor by State
 
Date
Amt
Exp No.
 
Date
Amt
Exp. No.
 
1
07/05
$95.70
F-89
 
07/11
$441.30
F-128
2
3
07/19
$195.90
F-88
 
07/20
$105.20
F-90
4
5
07/28
$170.00
F-92
 
08/05
$195.90
F-97
6
7
11/01
$451.90
F-122
 
 
 
F-98
8
 
 
$913.50
 
 
 
$742.40