.

The Texas Ethics Commission is supposed to watch the henhouse.  They are supposed to keep campaign finance honest.  But, the people making the laws for the Ethics Commission and funding their investigations are the very same people they are supposed to be watching.

Catch your breath, because I have to tell you that it doesn’t work.

It takes 2 to 3 years for a complaint to even be heard.  And in last session, the Texas Lege made them give back the ruler they used to slap people with.  The ruler was far too harsh.

Here’s an example of laws clearly being broken.  A secret PAC was establish to laundry money:

On Jan. 10, 2008, the PAC received a $250,000 donation from [Republican Speaker of the House Tom] Craddick’s campaign, according to campaign finance statements filed with the ethics commission. The next day, Jan. 11, the PAC made donations of $50,000 each to Reps. Kevin Bailey of Houston and Kino Flores of Palmview, who are no longer in the House, and Aaron Pena of Edinburg, who has since become a Republican.

Texans for Public Justice said Craddick used the PAC to covertly channel donations to Democrats who might be embarrassed to receive political help from the Republican House leader, who had his eye on another term as speaker.

And how did Craddick react the complaint?  He ignored it.

Aaron Pena: Ho

The fine for ignoring it?  $10,000.

That’s chump change for these boys.  They don’t even get up and offer a chair to $10,000.

“You know,” Juanita says, “it’s probably a good thing that Aaron Pena looks like he ate his brother.  That FOR SALE sign needs a lot of space on his back.