Posted on 10/27/2010 2:50:20 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
A Travis County jury today found South Texas lawmaker Kino Flores guilty of multiple counts of tampering with a governmental record and perjury in connection with omissions Flores made on financial disclosure forms required to be filed by state elected officials.
Flores, a 14-year state representative, was convicted of five counts of misdemeanor tampering with a governmental record, four counts of felony tampering with a governmental record and two counts of misdemeanor perjury.
He faces up to two years in a state jail and a $10,000 fine on each of the felony counts. Any state jail time assessed for each count must run concurrently with other counts under state law.
Flores, D-Palmview, elected to be sentenced by state District Judge Bob Perkins, who set sentencing for Nov. 22.
Flores and his lawyers left court without commenting.
“This verdict represents the public saying to public officials that they expect elected officials to maintain the highest ethical standards,” Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg said. “That accurate and full public disclosure is an important part of public service and that the public will not accept excuses like ‘I was too busy’ or ‘I just didn’t know.’”
Flores was found guilty of two counts of tampering with government records with the intent to harm or defraud the state for failing to report on the forms income that he was accused of receiving from a list of businesses in 2002 and 2003. He was also found guilty of the felony tampering for failing to report his son’s job with the Capitol lobby firm HillCo Partners.
The jury found that he did not intend to harm or defraud by failing to report a list of properties he owned on financial disclosure firms, including a Guadalupe Street condominium. Because of that lack of intent, the jury found the tampering with a governmental record counts related to those charges are misdemeanors.
Flores’ lawyers argued that he did not intend to omit the properties on the forms and dismissed some of the omissions as clerical errors. They argued that he was not obligated under the law to report the income because he was working as a consultant.
The case was prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Gregg Cox, Susan Oswalt and Matthew Foye with the office’s public integrity unit.
PING
Notice they don't mention that he is a democRAT until halfway into the article, and then it's only with a D after his name.
I hope the RAT enjoys his stay in prison!
(D), impropriety with money, coercing an outcome...
Is anyone here surprised?
This guy also hires illegals to work on his ranch, one of whom beat another illegal to death a couple of years ago. This guy is MEXICAN POLITICAL PRACTICES MOVING ACROSS THE BORDER AND TAKING ROOT in our country.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.