Litigation

Texas Judge Omits Millions in Financial Disclosures

By Lissette Villarruel

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, currently facing possible impeachment on ethics charges for refusing to keep her office open to receive a last-minute execution appeal, omitted almost $2 million in assets in her annual financial disclosures, according to an article by The Dallas Morning News.

The sworn statement Keller (right) filed with the Texas Ethics Commission in April 2008 did not include ownership interest in seven properties. According to The News, she made the same omissions in each of her sworn statements the last four years. Nonetheless, as another Morning News article notes, Keller?s attorney claims that the oversight was ??absolutely an inadvertent error.??

Despite these assets, Keller asked that the charges be dismissed because the state refused to pay for her attorney expenses to contest the allegations.

Andrew Wheat, research director of Texans for Public Justice, which examines the finances of public officials, declared that Keller?s omissions violated the public trust:

?It leaves one speechless to see so much left out of her personal financial statements on the one hand and then on the other hand to see her making her claims that hiring a private attorney would be financially ruinous? Is it willful hiding of assets, in which case that person probably isn?t fit to be our top criminal judge? I don’t know.?

An Associated Press article has reported that Keller will submit new financial disclosure forms that include properties she should not have omitted, though this may not save Keller from legal repercussions.

Keller had previously filed a response to the charges being considered by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, denying any misconduct on her part and blaming the Texas Defender Service instead.

The full text of Keller?s response can be found here.

Full post as published by The Gavel on April 03, 2009 (boomark / email).