| ► Is Texas State Sen. Jeff Wentworth Defamation Proof? Dern Tootin he is!!! |
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Is Texas State Sen. Jeff Wentworth Defamation Proof? Dern Tootin he is!!!
Senator Wentworth has been a Texas state legislator since 1988. He is currently seeking reelection for a as a State Senator representing the greater San Antonio area. He is presently facing Elizabeth Ames Jones in the Republican primary.
On May 17, 2012, Wentworth filed a lawsuit against Ms. Jones in San Antonio claiming she libeled and slandered him in broadcast ads alleging that Jeff double-dipped on travel reimbursements involving state and campaign funds.
Of course Jeff provides the usual denial of any wrongdoing; however, once you’ve reviewed the irrefutable facts contained herein, you’ll discover that Jeff’s denial is pure bunk. In a lame effort at levity, Jeff said “I filed this lawsuit to defend my honor and the integrity of our democracy.”
If Jeff’s loses the election and because he’s an aspiring standup comedian, he shouldn’t have any trouble landing a few gigs at the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club in downtown San Antonio.
Jeff’s defamation claim has as much merit as one would if filed by former Sen. John Edwards claiming he was libeled when someone called him a two-timing liar. Since Jeff’s a public figure he cannot win a defamation suit without proving that Ms. Jones’ conduct was malicious in that she knew for a fact that Jeff wasn’t pocketing state funds for expenses paid by his campaign.
Because there is a wealth of evidence that Jeffrey Wentworth is guilty of a variety of misconduct involving campaign and state funds, I will address each matter under separate headings as set forth below.
No. 1 – Wentworth Pocketing Registration Fees from State
No. 2 – Airfares paid by campaign and reimbursed to Wentworth by State
No. 3 – Wentworth collecting mileage payments from State – Textbox 1
No. 4 – Wentworth Lexus Expenses Paid by Campaign – Textbox 2
No. 5 – Miles Driven by Wentworth – Textbox 3
No. 6 – Absurd and Arrogant Expenditures of Campaign Funds
No. 7 – Disclaimer
In addition to the facts set forth herein, for further information proving that Jeff Wentworth’s slander suit is total joke, I would invite you to view the URL listed below and/or visit the category “Public Official Misfits by State” and then go to Texas and view other articles regarding Wentworth (alphabetical order).
05/21/12 – Criminal complaint filed v. TexasState Sen. Jeff Wentworth
http://tinyurl.com/cxjp5be
No. 1 – Wentworth Pocketing Registration Fees from State
The following are instances wherein the State reimbursed Wentworth for expenses that he pocketed even though the expenses were originally paid with campaign funds. The first set of entries was obtained from the State Comptroller’s Office and the second from Wentworth’s campaign expense records.
Registration Fees for Employee Training
No. 2 – Airfares paid by campaign and reimbursed to Wentworth by State
The following airfares were initially paid by Wentworth’s campaign and later paid by the state to Wentworth. The first entry relates to campaign expenditure and the second to amount paid to Wentworth by the State Comptroller.
2008 – A
7111-TRAV OUT-OF-ST-PUB TRANS FARES 20081030 1,038.00 –Entry No. 2506
2008 – B
2009 – A
2010 – A
2010 – B
No. 3 – Wentworth collecting mileage payments from State
The facts below deal with mileage payments Wentworth received from the state from 2008 through 2011, none of which he ever reimbursed to the campaign. See Textboxes 4-7 at end of article for specific amounts and dates of reimbursements to Wentworth.
Textbox 1
It is my understanding that the State will reimburse a legislator for one (1) roundtrip per week from his home to Austin when there is a legislative session. It is about 80 miles from San Antonio to Austin; therefore the following would be true:
The above numbers beg the question as to why the state paid Wentworth an additional $4,522 for mileage in 2011 and $3,612 in 2009. It would be absurd for Wentworth to claim that none of these mileage payments related to personal use and/or campaign purposes, both of which he would not lawfully be entitled too.
No. 4 – Wentworth Lexus Expenses Paid by Campaign
The textbox below details the amount of campaign funds that were spent to provide Wentworth with a luxury Lexus from 2008 through 2007 with a yearly average cost of $25,602. For specific details as lease and maintenance expenses go to:
It would be laughable for Wentworth to claim that the Lexus was never used by him for personal reasons. Commuting from his home in San Antonio to Austin (79 miles) is considered “personal use” by the IRS. In fact under IRS Publication 15-B: Lease Value Rule, Wentworth would be liable for the lease cost of a Lexus + Fuel. Does anyone really believe that Wentworth actually reported and paid income tax to the IRS since 2000 for his personal use of a luxury Lexus and Infinity?
Textbox 2
No. 5 – Miles Driven by Wentworth
The number of miles Wentworth claims to have driven is laughable at best. This is especially true for 2011 and 2009 when the legislature was in session for 25 weeks as set forth below. Add to this, the numerous out-of-state conferences that Jeff attended.
Textbox 3
Textbox No. 4 – 2011 State mileage = $6,742.50
Textbox No. 5 – 2010 State mileage = $8,673.36
Textbox No. 6 – 2009 State mileage = $5,812.76
Textbox No. 7 – 2008 State mileage = $5,423.06
No. 6 – Absurd and Arrogant Expenditures of Campaign Funds
The following are but a few examples of Wentworth treating his contributors with total contempt in regards to the manner in which he arrogantly spends their money.
A – American Bar Assn Conf in Beverly Hills, California
Attending this Conference had absolutely nothing to do with Wentworth’s job as a state Senator. It had everything to do with the fact that he’s an attorney and a member of the American Bar Association. This should be considered an illegal personal expenditure of campaign funds by the Texas Ethics Commission.
B – Bohemian Club Summer Grove Encampment – San Francisco
These trips are nothing more than a disguised vacation for Wentworth that he cheerfully forced his contributors to pay for. If you want more information about the goings on at the Bohemian Grove, just Google “The Bohemian Grove.”
2011 Expenses
2007 Expenses
7 – Disclaimer
The Watchdawg has no dog in the election fight between Wentworth and Ms. Jones. This isn’t the first time that I’ve outed Mr. Wentworth for conduct that I firmly believed was unethical and/or unlawful. In the event that I discovered any untoward conduct regarding Ms. Jones you can be assured I would readily publish it and/or file appropriate complaints.
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