| D.A. Watkins Too Jolly Last Christmas |
|
|
|
| by Tom McGregor | Tue, Jun 3, 2008, 04:47 PM |
|
Those gifts included luxury suite tickets to a Dallas Cowboys football game, round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the U.S., several hundred dollars of gift cards and so much more. Fox News 4 quotes a script for a speech Watkins gave to his staff as saying: “On behalf of the District Attorney’s entire staff, I’d like to thank the American Airlines Center, Blockbuster, Coca-Cola, Douglas D. Mulder – Attorney at Law, First Choice Power, Greyhound Lines, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Time Warner Cable for providing these prizes.” A few months ago, the Dallas Blog also heard rumors from three high-level officials at the Dallas County Commissioners’ Court, speaking on condition of anonymity, about D.A. Watkins soliciting corporations to donate expensive gifts for his office Christmas party. In fairness to D.A. Watkins, we didn’t report on the accusations until we had verifiable proof of his activities at the time. Nonetheless, the County sources, who provided information about the Christmas party, also revealed some other startling details. Some participants of the office party claimed that D.A. Watkins was drinking a bit too much alcohol and appeared very jolly. To read the entire Fox News 4 article, link here:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (11)
...
written by Sharon Boyd , June 03, 2008 DA Watkins and his apologists are trying to make this appear insignificant, but that's not working. This story is huge. I love the DA's logic that it's not an issue because the crime was committed several months ago. The DA and his staff were shaking down corporations and a criminal lawyer for expensive gifts with a promise of "face time" with the DA. Paul Adrian really did a good job on this story. This is just flat out embarrassing.
...
written by Walt , June 03, 2008 I just read the Fox story and looked at the links. You should read Watkins written response, Fox 4 has it on it's web site. What Moron wrote that? Man that makes him look bad. First of all it's clearly a violation of the law. The feeble excuse given in the statement is laughable. They try to claim that it was DA employees that were friends with these corporate sponsors who made this deal. Are you kidding me. Do they think we are idiots? Just read Gloria James solicitaion letters and you can see their explanation is a lie. The question will be what agency will investigate this crime and who will be prosecuted? Looks like a solid case. Too bad it took so long for some one to report the facts.
...
written by MA , June 04, 2008 He should be soliciting criminals. No one else in Dallas is working so hard to free them.
...
written by maximus , June 04, 2008 This is a classic shakedown scheme - "Pay the price and you get face time with the man who controls the Dallas County criminal justice system." Or allow me to translate - "Pay the price and you can get a little extra protection from your friend, the DA." Justice should not be for sale to the highest bidder. It shouldn't be reserved for the DA's friends. Either this guy is corrupt or just plain stupid or both. And as for the Christmas party, the people who were there will tell you that he was loaded that afternoon. Nice exmaple to set for the troops, Mr. DA. PS - check out his birthday party where he solicited money from his employees and then handed invitations on the basis of race...
...
written by CKD , June 04, 2008 I wish our elected District Attorney had chosen to go on camera to answer these charges. Instead he choose to give a written statement. The cowards way out. Watkins can't wait to get on camera when it's a positve story. Paul Adrian would have had a blast shredding Watkins during an interview. Of course the written statement didn't do him much good either. He comes across as a cry baby, clearly lacking any maturity or abilty to answer negative coverage. Then the excuses in the statement! It is so clear by the letters from his assistant that they are soliciting gifts. Does any one believe his story that no one in the adminstration knew about them? Does anyone believe his explanation that this isn't against the law becuase his prosecutors used their personal friendships to get the gifts. If that is true then why the letters from Ms. James? If that is true who are these prosecutors and who is it they know? Let's name them. It gets so hard when you begin to lie. Does any one believe Ms. James when she now says that the actual letters that went out solicited $50 gifts? $50 being an exception under th elaw. Where are these mysterious letters? I doubt any of these companies could produce them since they are pure fiction, dreamed up by dishonest lawyers. And then he has the gall to tell the reporters that HE CAN"T RECALL WHAT DEFENSE LAWYER gave then tickets to the suite for a Cowboy game! What a lie. One more thing. According to the statment the Morning News was there. What dim witted reporter covered that party? Could they not smell a skunk when airline tickets, gift cards and football tickets are being given out? Do they not follow news tips given by the public? Are they that stupid or so liberal they don't want a negative story to come out? Lets hope some one lodges a complaint with the Attorney General.
...
written by Grrr , June 04, 2008 Dang it, the best DA in the county's history appears to be panhandling with the best of them. Come on Craig, lay low for awhile & keep up the good work. You have tons of support. Don't blow it with this stupid s**t.
...
written by Larry T , June 04, 2008 I bet he sends his solicitation letters out to car dealerships next Christmas. He has wrecked all his county cars and torn his own up. He could use some new ones to drive around drunk in a ram them into other cars.
...
written by Right Wing Republican Volunteer , June 05, 2008 Wow!!! Until I read the Fox 4 article I didn't realize just how bad it was. An incredible shakedown. Can you spell b-r-i-b-e? The cherry on the cake was at the end: "Also, no one in the office seems to remember who gave the Cowboys luxury suite tickets." Simple fact: EVERYONE at the courthouse knows about Doug Mulder's luxury suite at Texas Stadium.
...
written by Fairness , June 05, 2008 Can't we all just get along? What's a little class A misdemeanor, 365 dz in jail, by the DA's right hand woman. The lead investigator (white) got fired over a dismissed Class C a few months ago -- while he had a discrimination lawsuit pending. Surely Gloria James (Af. Amer.) will be fired over a more signifigant charge. They will be even handed despite the race of either party and fire her too. Rest assured, they will do the right thing...I'm sure.
...
written by Paul C , June 05, 2008 The story is disturbing because these actions appear to be unethical. The story become more disturbing when the District Attorney lies about it. Watkins seems to be poised for higher office. If this is how he conducts his business then you can predict bad things will happen. Write comment
|
|
KDFW Fox News 4 reported on an investigation of Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins’s Christmas Party last year. Apparently, D.A. Watkins’s office had solicited corporations to donate gifts for his first Christmas party as the leading prosecutor of the County.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
