Free Republic

Feb. 6, 2004, 9:48PM Giving a name to GOP primary politics By CLAY ROBISON Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle In the end, an important political race may be decided by something as simple (and potentially dangerous) as which of two common names -- Smith or Green -- sounds better to most Republican primary voters. For political insiders, however, the race between Texas Supreme Court Justice Steven Wayne Smith and challenger Paul Green offers an entertaining look at how Gov. Rick Perry is letting his pique at Smith put him at odds with leaders from the far-right wing of his own party,...

Democrats' racial tactic may backfire Thursday, August 28, 2003 The continuing complaint of Democratic senators who fled to New Mexico is that fines for their absence amount to a poll tax: a fee that once kept minorities from voting. Underlining race might be good legal strategy for the Democrats, who allege that forced congressional redistricting injures the influence of Hispanics and African Americans and amounts to racial discrimination under the U.S. Voting Rights Act. But unless they include discrimination against rural voters (including whites) — and what difference they think it makes in congressional votes on jobs, Social Security and...

AUSTIN -- Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales entered a guilty plea in federal court today to two counts including mail fraud and a tax-related charge. Morales, 46, had pleaded innocent in April to charges that he and Marc Murr, a friend, tried to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees for Murr resulting from the state's $17.3 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998. Morales has agreed to a four-year prison term, which has to be accepted by a federal judge, said Daryl Fields, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton. All other counts against Morales...

Morales holed up in a cell all alone Jail seeks to protect ex-top lawyer; papers hint at financial woes  MORE ON THIS STORY   Read past coverage and more information on Dan Morales at statesman.com/morales By David PasztorAMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFFSaturday, June 28, 2003Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales was placed in an isolated cell after being booked into the Caldwell County Jail and is being kept away from other inmates, Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law said Friday.Law said Morales, ordered to jail by a federal judge while awaiting trial on various fraud charges, is being kept in administrative segregation for...

Former AG Morales' bond revoked, jailed BY NATALIE GOTT Associated Press Writer AUSTIN - Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales, who awaits trial on federal fraud charges, was jailed Wednesday after a judge revoked his bond, saying there was inconsistent testimony in the case. Morales, 46, pleaded innocent in April to charges that he and Marc Murr, a friend and an attorney, tried to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees for Murr resulting from the state's $17.3 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998. At that court hearing, Morales sought a public defender to represent him,...

AUSTIN -- Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales was jailed Wednesday after prosecutors alleged that while free on bond on federal charges, he may have lied about his income when he bought two luxury cars. Morales, who has been indicted on charges of fraud, conspiracy and lying on a loan application for a home, was taken into custody by federal marshals during a routine court hearing on his case and booked into the Travis County Jail. Prosecutors claimed that although Morales had earlier told the court he couldn't afford to hire a lawyer, he stated on loan applications for a...

Morales is given a public defender Former AG says he's not broke, hopes to have paid counsel soon04/29/2003 By PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN – Former Attorney General Dan Morales, accused of illegally using campaign funds to help buy his $1.2 million house, is being represented by a government-paid public defender because he says he cannot afford his own lawyer. Mr. Morales said in an interview, however, that he isn't broke and hopes to have paid attorneys on board soon – probably former U.S. Attorney Paul Coggins of Dallas and nationally recognized defense lawyer Gerry Goldstein of...

AUSTIN -- A federal grand jury indicted former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales and a longtime friend Thursday for allegedly trying to defraud the state of hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees in the state's anti-tobacco lawsuit. The panel also charged Morales with illegally using political funds to help purchase a $775,000 house and of filing false income tax returns for 1998. "This is a case of an elected official charged with abusing the public trust," said U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, who announced the indictments. Morales was charged with 12 counts of mail fraud, conspiracy, filing a false...

Morales brother pleads guilty He'll be sentenced in April for trying to blackmail Sanchez 01/31/2003 By PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN - The brother of former state Attorney General Dan Morales pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to blackmail Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez out of $280,000 last fall. "We're here to stand up and accept full responsibility for this thing," said Michael Morales, 40, a San Antonio recording producer who faces a probable two-year federal prison sentence. "I look forward to my productive life of making music and getting this behind us." Moments earlier Mr. Morales...

Morales' brother makes deal in extortion case He'll admit Sanchez threats during campaign, probably serve 2 years 01/22/2003 By PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN - The brother of former state Attorney General Dan Morales has agreed to plead guilty to a federal extortion charge that will probably result in a two-year prison sentence and could carry up to a $250,000 fine, his lawyer said Tuesday. Under the deal, music producer Michael Morales, 40, of San Antonio will admit he threatened to make allegations public about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez if the campaign of the Laredo...

Campaign extortion claim is investigated 01/05/2003 By PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN - Federal prosecutors are investigating whether a brother of former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales attempted to extort between $200,000 and $300,000 from Democratic candidate Tony Sanchez during the governor's race last fall. Music producer Michael Morales, 40, has been identified by federal agents as the person who called Mr. Sanchez's campaign manager and threatened to make public an allegation that Mr. Sanchez committed a felony while a law student in San Antonio more than 30 years ago, sources speaking on condition of anonymity...

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Texas Democrats' hope of riding the Hispanic vote to victory in the November election took a hit on Tuesday when one of the party's top Hispanics endorsed Republican incumbent Rick Perry for governor. Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales said he supported Perry because his Democratic challenger, wealthy businessman Tony Sanchez, lacked the experience and ethics required to lead the nation's second largest state. "I'm a Democrat, but I'm first and foremost a Texan," Morales, who lost the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Sanchez, told cheering Perry supporters at the governor's Houston campaign headquarters. "I'm...