DA says White charges do not support a case
Image via WikipediaA top Travis County prosecutor said Wednesday his agency already has investigated Democrat Bill White's allegations of wrongdoing at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and closed the case because no criminal violations were discovered.I think it would take more than a board overruling the staff to make a scandal. Based on what has happened there is apparently no evidence that the investments were improper or illegal.
White accused Gov. Rick Perry of "raiding" the teacher pension fund for the benefit of some of his campaign donors because investments were made with the donors' companies. White produced a memo from last August that he claimed was the "smoking gun."
The Aug. 9 memo by investment director Michael Green accused TRS Chief Investment Officer Britt Harris of making investments over the objections of staff to satisfy TRS board members appointed by Perry. White called for an independent investigation into the matter.
First Assistant District Attorney John Neal said Green faxed prosecutors his memo in August of last year and met with attorneys and investigators on Sept. 3. Neal said investigators looked into the allegations and closed the case on June 22.
"We weren't able to identify any criminal violations," Neal said. "We wouldn't reopen this case unless new facts come to life."
The Travis County district attorney is Democrat Rosemary Lehmberg. Her prosecutors this week are trying state Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, on public corruption charges. Next week, they are scheduled to begin jury selection for the trial of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, on accusations that he violated state campaign finance laws in 2002.
"This shows that Bill White has no credibility and further proves he is a desperate candidate who will say and do anything," Perry spokesman Mark Miner said.
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I can see why White would want to call attention to the staff letter. How that letter came to be a part of a political campaign is not addressed by the story. Is the person who wrote the letter a White supporter? Or it could be an internal dispute over investment objectives that got caught up in today's politics. If the Chronicle adds to the story I will try to update the post.
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