TribBlog: Mr. Ten Percent?

A court filing provides 59 hints as to what the state's case against state Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores, D-Palmview, will look like when his trial on ethics charges begins Oct. 18. Travis County prosecutor Gregg Cox filed a list of 59 offenses it will raise during the punishment stage of the trial, something that prosecutors are required to do under law prior to the trial.

Austin-based lawyer Roy Minton represents Flores. He told the Austin American-Statesman that he'll "leave it to the judge to determine" whether or not to consider the additional alleged offenses while weighing the lawmaker's punishment. The subject of various criminal investigations over the years, after his 2009 indictment for failing to disclose sources of income, gifts and other information in personal financial statements, Flores maintained that, "At no point during my public service have I intentionally or knowingly violated any state law or rule." Shortly after, he announced that he would not seek re-election to his House District 36 seat.

The filing alleges, among other things, that Flores:

· Accepted $40,000 in payments in exchange for favorable treatment on legislation between 2002 and 2004.

· Was known as "Mr. Ten Percent" for his insistence on being paid 10 percent of the profits companies made from the contracts he awarded them.

· Pressured the director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to hire convicted felon Roel Benavides in 2003, then accepted "improper benefits" from Benavides in the form of property.

· Failed to report over $80,000 in income to the IRS in 2003, over $68,000 in 2004, over $30,000 in 2005, over $51,000 in 2005 and almost $92,000 in 2008.

Download the full 10-page document above.