Local Stuff: The Email Caper
When I write about local stuff, you can bet your best pair of pink boots that the same damn thing is happening in your town.
I’ve told you before about the sheriff we had who was so old that we had to carbon date him to decide how many candles to put on his birthday cake. Well, he retired about a decade ago but didn’t leave office until two years ago. The new sheriff we elected is younger but he’s so slow that we have to put out markers to see if he’s moving.
Last September 11, Bernice Barclay, a Republican precinct chair and a county employee who works at the Jail Information switchboard, sent an email to all the elected officials in the county asking them to chip in to pay for the Republican Party Christmas Party, which was held at – prepare yourself – The Redneck Country Club. Hey, that’s an improvement. They used to hold it at a bank, you know, where they worship.
Here’s the email. Click the little one to see the big one.
Orignal Email
So, a Democrat, Dr. Oto Cantu, got steamed about this. He filed a complaint because you cannot use a county employee on county time in a county building to raise money for a political purpose. The next day, he files a complaint at the sheriff’s department against Ms. Barclay.
In February, after hearing diddle squat about this complaint, Dr. Cantu sent an email to the sheriff’s office asking what happened with his complaint. He got an answer. It ain’t pretty.
Upon seeing the complaint, Barclay’s superior, David Marcaurele, sent her an email at 10:57 AM.
Marcaurele’s email to Barclay
At 2:54 PM, she answers.
Barclay’s answer
At 3:03 PM, she gets her punishment. Do the click thing again.
Marcaurele’s “written counseling” of Barclay
Ouch! That’s tough.
On September 24th, the county attorney’s office issues an opinion that Mrs. Barclay did not violate the law because it was a Christmas party and that’s not political. You don’t believe me, do you?
Here ya go – from county attorney Matthew Grove.
Matthew Grove’s lawyering
Grove also finds that Barclay did not intend to benefit from this activity. We do not know what he did with the money his momma gave him to go to law school.
Now, do I need to add that the only Democrat in this whole episode was Dr. Oto Cantu?
And the case was closed with “written counseling.”
Closure of the case.
Now if Hillary Clinton had done this ….
Sounds like a civil suit waiting to happen. Get it out of the county into Harris and justice might be done.
1Of course it was non political, no self respecting republican would ever be partisan and of course no politics would ever be discussed by a republican political group and how could these people getting together promote a partisan interest. Really you just have to trust them as far as you can fling a diesel locomotive. In case anyone misses it, I am joking, it seems republicans have no scruples, but would probably eat them, if they could be catered.
2Is this the same Red Neck CC that your very own gift to radio, the esteemed Michael Berry owns? Is Michael out of jail yet for his hit and run in the gay bar parking lot adventure that he really prefers we never bring up in polite company? Did he get cozy with anyone while in jail? Make new male friends or anything of the sort? Even though I live thousands of miles away I get to tune into the dulcet tones of this racist man-child because, for reasons known only to themselves, he is given air time in Portland, Oregon. Insert finger in throat here . . . .
3On second thought, maybe this all part of the War on Christmas that we have been annually warned about by Liar in Chief Bull O’Reilly and Sean and the other ones . . . you know. This Dr. Oto Cantu is clearly spawn of the devil.
4My suggestion to Dr Cantu would be to contact the Texas Rangers (not the baseball team) in Houston. There is a Ranger assigned to Fort Bend County. I 100% believe he or she will handle it from there.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/allen/headlines/20100730-Incoming-Collin-County-district-clerk-4253.ece
Just ask former Collin County District Clerk Patricia Crigger. If you can finder her.
5I guess funds to fund a political party are not monetary funds to fund a political party as much as Nehls is not a crook. Thanks for the advice, I will send this to the Texas Rangers and the Texas Attorney General. Since most of them are in bed together I doubt they will do anything, but at least they cannot say we did not send the information and that was the reason they did not do anything.
6Kunkle might have said,if they tipped me off in advance I would have had time to get rid of all evidence of any crimes committed by myself and colleagues. Those darn Texas Rangers anyway.
7I’m not so offended by Republicans being crooked. I mean, that’s just their nature.
What does bother me is their abuse of the English language: From her email: “there will be an cash bar….”
What a improper use of an preposition! Are she that illiterate? Their should bee a investigayshun!
8Lighten up,Roberto-wingnuts already shun gays. 🙂 Hell,they prolly invest in shunning gays. Its a sport for them.
9Whose ox got gored?
My first thought was that this is a violation of the Establishment Clause. But since it is Christians, nobody is going to care.
10@Dr Cantu
My personal experience dealing with the Texas Rangers assigned to Hunt, Dallas, and Collin counties over the past 40+ years has been uniformly good.
@Roberto
11When I read that line about a cash bar, my inner 14 year old cried out in Jim Carrey’s Grinch voice “What if it’s a cash bar?….how dare they!…” I’m sorry. I regress sometimes. Especially on days with a “d” in them.
Kudos, Dr. Cantu for trying to expose rampant Republican corruption. Up here in PA, we had a judge and her sister, a State Senator, go to jail for fund raising on the taxpayer’s dollar, using County employees. Of course, they are Republicans. “Written counseling” just doesn’t cut it.
12Hurray Dr. Cantu.
13Maybe I’m wrong…. but the only way I don’t see this as anything but what Dr. Cantu says it is….. is….. if the woman who issued these “e-mail” invitations….. held the party at her house. And… it didn’t cost anything, and there was no cash bar. JMHO.
But then, I’m a Democrat.
14Other that they asked for funds for their Republican Political Party Christmas Party they did not fund any other political party activity. LOL.
On the other hand it is hard to punish officers for doing what they are told to do. Crooks! Are they going to get in jail themselves and throw the key out the window?
It is ironic they celebrate the birth of Christ at the Redneck Country Club by breaking the law. I AM SURE THEIR CHEZZUSS LOVES THEM as they hear His voice in their heads! I am not Jesus, but I doubt Jesus would approve of their actions to celebrate His own birthday.
I just cannot make this up. I had to read their letter several times and pinch myself to make sure I was awake and this is actually for real. Unbelievable!
15Which explains why Hillary used a private e-mail account – it reduced the risk of (in her case inadvertently) using her government e-mail account for political purposes.
16RepubAnon, I do believe General Powell did the same thing while he was at the State Department. These damn private email accounts are all over the place around here (the D.C. area). When Hill has hers read out to the public, everyone else who has such an account is also fair game. Can’t wait to see pRick’s!
17“This employee has already been given written counseling concerning this VIOLATION”???? Um… wouldn’t that be tacit admission of a wrongdoing? Just askin’.
18I don’t know, if they have someone strumming Dueling Banjos in the background then it must be alright.
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