by Donna Garner |November 23, 2010
How refreshing for Texas Representative Bryan Hughes to have been bold and courageous enough to speak out about the strong-arm tactics used by the Straus team to pressure him into supporting Straus as Speaker of the House.
From what Texas legislators have told me, Rep. Bryan Hughes is beyond repute. He is an honorable person who is deeply respected by his fellow Representatives. They know that it was with much soul searching that he felt he had to reveal the intimidating tactics used by the Straus team.
Please take the time to write to Rep. Hughes and express your appreciation for his having stepped forward to uncover the highly unethical tactics used by RINO Straus. Nothing in life is more difficult than when we are called upon to tell the truth about a person in our own peer group.
Here is Hughes’ e-mail address,
House ethics panel declines to act on Speaker’s race matter
By Corrie MacLaggan | Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 01:40 PM
The House General Investigating & Ethics Committee this afternoon declined to act after considering allegations involving the House speaker’s race.
The panel was looking into a statement by Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, that an ally of Speaker Joe Straus had told him that Hughes could be drawn out of his district if he didn’t support Straus for speaker. Hughes did not publicly name the ally, but Hopson indicated this morning that the conversation in question was between Hughes and state Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman.
Committee Chairman Rep. Chuck Hopson, R-Jacksonville, said that there was insufficient information to determine that any misconduct occurred. But he said that the panel will continue to review the allegations and could act in the future.
The committee convened this morning at 9 a.m. and then quickly went into executive session to discuss the matter. Hughes and Phillips were invited to join the executive session. Phillips, vice chairman of the ethics panel, recused himself.
The members reconvened at about 12:30 and heard public testimony from both Hughes and Phillips. The two men both said that a conversation took place on Nov. 5, but they disagreed as to what exactly was said.
Hughes, who asked to be placed under oath, said that Phillips told him that he didn’t need to worry about being drawn out of his district as long as he was on the list of Straus supporters. He said Phillips told him that he was working on maps and that plans were under way to draw Rep. Dan Flynn and Rep.-elect Erwin Cain out of their districts. Hughes also said Phillips told him that Rep.-elect Jim Landtroop (who at the time was thought to be supporting Straus) would be protected but that Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, who is running against Straus for speaker, would not.
Hughes told the committee he was worried that if he was getting such a call, others may be, too.
“Had this been a passing reference to redistricting … that would be one thing,” said Hughes, who withdrew his support for Straus after the conversation with Phillips. “But this was clear, unequivocal, detailed … and I knew it couldn’t be ignored.”
Phillips read a statement to the committee that said he was not speaking on behalf of Straus and had never spoken with the speaker or the speaker’s staff regarding redistricting in relation to the speaker’s race.
“Representative Hughes’ statement is unequivocally false,” Phillips’ statement said. “I did not tell Representative Hughes that maps were already being drawn to get rid of Representative-Elect Cain or Representative Flynn. I also did not tell Representative Hughes that there was a plan to use redistricting to punish those who were not on Speaker Straus’ support list.”
Phillips also took issue with the fact that Hughes released his allegations in the form of a press release on Nov. 10.
“I can only wonder why Representative Hughes would issue a press release before conducting even a cursory investigation” into matters he said offended him, Phillips’ statement said. “It would be typical for colleagues who have legitimate concerns with one another to at least discuss them with each other before going public with a press release, unless the publicity associated with his allegations was the objective.”
Both Hughes and Phillips said that no recording was made of the conversation.
After the hearing, Hughes said that he didn’t ask for an investigation.
“I have told the truth,” Hughes said. “For me to say it didn’t happen would be a lie.”
