Give John Davis The Boot On Nov. 7th
Remember me telling you that State Representative John Davis, Republican, HD-129, spent $1500 of his campaign cash on boots?
Here's what it said on his campaign finance report, filed with the Texas Ethics Commission (on the July 2006 semi-annual report):
Jersey Boots
607 A College Avenue South Houston TX 77587
5/29/2006 $1,537.15 Merchandise purchases
But, it's not Jersey Boots. There is no such place of business. I couldn't find it anywhere. Finally, I googled 607 College Avenue, South Houston, and what do you know. There is a
custom boot shop at that address, but it's called Jesse's Boot Repair. Just to prove to myself that this place actually existed, I mapquested the place and took a little side trip over to South Houston today. Sure enough, there it was, Jesse's Boot Repair, with a cool GIANT BOOT out front. I had my trusty muse camera with me so I have photo evidence.
Can you spend campaign cash on personal items? Well, NO. There is actually a schedule - Schedule I - in the Cash on Hand instructions from the Texas Ethics Commission that candidates use in filing their Campaign Finance Reports, if they are dumb enough to get themselves in this mess. On Schedule I, it says:
You must enter all non-political expenditures from political contributions on this schedule, regardless of the amount. A non-political expenditure is an expenditure that is neither a campaign expenditure nor an officeholder expenditure. Remember that you may not convert political contributions to personal use.
Seems rather clear to me. When I was at Jesse's boot shop, I saw that they also sold saddles. And handbags. So, on the way home from my little jaunt, I went through a mental exercise of what 
in the world Davis could have bought there that had anything to do with being a campaign expenditure. Perhaps a saddle for an appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where he announced his candidacy? No, that's just silly. Maybe a handbag for his wife with "Vote for My Dufus Husband Who You Have Never Heard of, But He's Running Again for State Rep."? Not likely. Readers? Thoughts as to how the $1500 expenditure at Jesse's might be explained away on a revised Campaign Finance Report?
Let's focus on Sherrie Matula giving him the boot on Nov. 7th. He won't have his campaign finance mess cleared up by then, so he can spend his newly found free time finding receipts.
6 comments:
I'd bet anything that it was a committee gift, which can be paid for with campaign funds.
$1500??????? for a committee gift?
To who? And why was it not posted on his report?
Eitherway. $1500 for a committee gift is outrageous, well unless his donors dont mind giving away their money.
True, he can give gifts from campaign funds. Now if the boot shop says it was boots in his size, or boot repairs....
TEC will never do anything unless a person files a notarized request pointing out a problem. That is the way they work. They fine late paperwork and they have hearings on notarized requests to investigate.
If the expenditure was on the up and up, why didn't Davis make a full explanation in the box provided for that?
Great research, Muse!
There is another complaint being filed. One has already been filed and has been accepted.
$1500 for a pair of boots?
Rick Casey wrote about it already. Davis said it was a "signature" item, like a shirt with State Representative John Davis embroidered on it.
And turns out Davis got fined $1000 by the ethics commission and had to return the $1500 to his campaign. So his boots cost $2500.
Post a Comment