Cruz's Work on Case to Be Put in Campaign Crosshairs
The U.S. Senate campaign of Ted Cruz is bracing for a new round of political attacks after the candidate revealed on his latest ethics disclosures that he continued to perform civil legal work for a Pennsylvania developer who was at the center of a massive judicial corruption scheme known as the “kids for cash” scandal.
The developer, Robert Mericle, pleaded guilty in 2009 to felony charges stemming from what prosecutors said were illegal kickbacks paid to two state judges who sent juveniles into his private detention facilities. Mericle became a star witness for prosecutors and is still awaiting sentencing ...
Comments (12)
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Who cares? Vote for Sadler!
Eric Dana Jensen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Is Dewhurst a lawyer or just another rich shi*head? Vote for Sadler.
Matthew Wright via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This whole line of attack baffles me. Dewhurst seems to think the people of Texas don't know what lawyers do. Populace ought to be offended he thinks they are so dumb. And Cruz doesn't challenge the most pernicious assumption. A lawyers job is to represent a client. He argues whatever is best for his client without regard for his personal preferences.
OA David A Johnson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Politics is the art of the possible, not Democrats winning statewide seats in Texas.
I always wonder, do prosecutors ever face this kind of scrutiny when it comes out that they've convicted innocent people? I know defense attorneys are always known as scumbags for defending guilty scumbags (you know, their jobs), but prosecutors are soft if they drop charges against people they have doubts about and are forgiven for getting stiff punishments against those who had no part in a given crime.
That's a tangent. The runoff will sure be interesting, whatever the result.
Toby Marie Walker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
When can we start asking about the ISSUES?! I don't give a rat's behind about this, it's a distraction from the economy, taxes, and a host of other issues I'd like to see the media ask the candidate's about. What a waste of time when Americans can barely make ends meet or are looking for jobs. Maybe we need to put a moratorium on the mud until the media can find a decent question to ask the candidates. What's next? Are you going to start asking what color their underwear is today?
Amy Eldred
Lawyers are hired to do a job. They defend their clients' interests. All lawyers. While this case has a sleazy client, under our Constitution a person accused has the right to representation. Lawyer steps in. End of story. Bet if DD needed an attorney, he would want one as good as Cruz.
gypsy314 ne
We all know who the true leader will be Cruz has it hands down.
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No, what puts ANY of this in the crosshairs is the desperation of David Dewhust- and his Trib lackeys- generated by the latest polling numbers. BTW: the first line is important; Cruz is NOT a criminal defense lawyer; his involvement had to do with CONTRACT law.
jpt51
Cruz and Dewhurst are both on the dark side of dark. Their records and behavior demonstrate how unfit each is to hold the office of U.S. Senator. If there's ever a time to vote for a person possessing the appropriate knowledge base, skills and integrety it's Paul Sadler. He's the clear choice this November.
Adele Roberson
Sadler is the best of anything that is being presented to the State of Texas
Republicans are in the brambles and they are not doing a good job of anything the people in this state want or need. Too much cronyism, too much religion, too much corruption and not enough
brain power .
I, for one, am tired of the nefarious creatures like Harold Simmons and Bob Perry buying this State.
An ordinary person these days is even discouraged from supporfting a preference for a political candidate in Texas. One knows that giving a couple of a hundred dollars is immediately outfinanced by the likes of some Billionaire that can donate ten million dollars on any given day. This is not the way a Democracy is supposed to work.
henry knox
I always feel like I need a shower after a Dewhurst commercial. I felt the same way when he spoke at the Republican convention. I'm tired of sleezy politicians, please let's put Cruz in for a fresh perspective and return power to the people. If I think I'll have to listen to Dewhurst for 6 years I may just vote for the Democrat. If you are going to play in the gutter why not play with the best.
Cowboy
The two Pennsylvania judges took over $3 million in bribes from two juvenile lockup owners, after closing Luzerne County's own juvenile facility. They sentenced over a thousand kids to long jail terms, children who hadn't done anything that would have deserved harsher punishment than staying after school to clean erasers. One child was so distraught by the sentence and awful conditions that she committed suicide.
Although the judges went to jail, Cruz's client didn't. The kids' cases weren't the only ones that were fixed. A newspaper lost a multi-million dollar libel suit when one of the crooked judges found against them, despite the evidence in their favor.
What Cruz's client Mericle did was nothing less than a 21st Century form of slavery. Voters should be asking why this disgusting individual went all the way to Texas to find an attorney willing to defend the indefensible.