Dallas County Republican Party

April 5, 2010

Constable allegations fuel both parties in Dallas County campaigns

10:43 PM CDT on Sunday, April 4, 2010

By GROMER JEFFERS Jr. / The Dallas Morning News

gjeffers@dallasnews.com

The criminal investigation of two Dallas County constables is a political tug of war that has pitted local Democrats and a nationally known district attorney against local Republicans and a popular state attorney general.

It's unclear how the investigations of Constables Jaime Cortes and Derick Evans will unfold. But the political bickering is expected to continue through November, when voters decide numerous countywide elections, including contests for district attorney and county judge.

As Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins maneuvers to sidestep election-year criticism and make sure Democrats aren't unfairly maligned, Republicans are using the controversy to arm candidates looking to unseat their rivals and take back control of county politics.

In Dallas County's raw and rowdy world of politics, there is little chance Watkins would allow Attorney General Greg Abbott, a deeply partisan Republican currently helping to lead a national effort to overturn the Obama health-care overhaul, to conduct a criminal inquiry in a county where Republicans are waging a fierce offensive to unseat Democrats.

Abbott's office has offered twice to step into the investigation of the constables to help avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Watkins, unabashedly partisan himself, has declined. He is loath to contemplate the prospect of Abbott's alleging in news releases the bad conduct of Democrats and the shortcomings of the district attorney's office.

Watkins, the darling of local and national Democrats for his work to free the wrongfully convicted, faces his own political challenge.

He's running for re-election against Dallas lawyer Danny Clancy. Watkins is a heavy favorite against the Republican. But Democrats need him to do more than win. They need him to pull enough voters to the polls to sweep other blue candidates into office.

So the controversy over the constables investigation has just as much to do with November as it does with justice.

Some political analysts say Democrats risk turning off voters if they are perceived to be protecting low-level politicians accused of wrongdoing.

"Democrats have to play defense, play it effectively and get out in front of this," SMU political scientist Cal Jillson said. "It just looks as if everybody is playing their own game. And as a political matter, it leaves the Democratic Party exposed."

Democrats say voters will support Watkins.

"If you know Craig Watkins, you know he's a deliberate person and giving this his full attention," said county Democratic Party Chairwoman Darlene Ewing. "No matter what he does, they're going to say it's political and attack him for it."

Watkins, in a written response to questions, seemed to call the attorney general's actions political.

"My job as District Attorney is to serve the people of Dallas County and to follow the law," he wrote. "If you want to talk about the politics of this issue, you should speak to the Republican Attorney General."

For months, Republicans, along with County Judge Jim Foster, a Democrat, have pushed Watkins to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by Cortes and Evans.

Watkins won't discuss the subject publicly, but he has confirmed in court papers that such an inquiry is under way.

Frustrated by Watkins' perceived reluctance, Foster and Republican Commissioners Maurine Dickey and Ken Mayfield ordered their own investigation. That inquiry has accused Cortes of accepting bribes and has said Evans may have forced his employees to raise money for his political campaigns.

Watkins' office represents constables in civil matters, a conflict, Republicans say, that should compel him to let Abbott conduct an investigation.

"We want a full and open investigation into the allegations of corruption," said Jonathan Neerman, chairman of the county Republican Party. "If there's any politics involved here, it's from the district attorney's side. He's inextricably intertwined with the major players in the case."

Neerman points out that state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, has represented Evans and that former state Rep. Domingo Garcia has represented Cortes. West, who has been a mentor for the district attorney, served as head of Watkins' transition team when he won the office in 2006.

West said there is no conflict because he doesn't represent Evans in criminal matters. Garcia said Republicans are trying to use the attorney general as an election-year tool.

Republicans, who once viewed Watkins as unbeatable, now view his handling of the constables as a campaign issue, an example of Democratic negligence.

They see an opportunity to disrupt a key Democratic goal in November: To take control of the Commissioners Court.

Elba Garcia, the wife of Domingo Garcia, is running against Mayfield in one of the season's most competitive races. Her victory, coupled with a Democratic win in county judge's contest, would give Democrats a 3-2 edge.

Democrats say the possible loss of control of the Commissioner Court is what's driving Republican criticism of Watkins and Abbott's letters to Watkins offering help.

"Greg Abbott is one of the most shameless partisan politicians in the state of Texas," said Democratic strategist Matt Angle. "Watkins is exactly right to reject any help from a partisan politician with a political agenda."

Local Democrats noted that Abbott was at the county Republican Party's Reagan Day Dinner, where much of the conversation centered on turning the county red again.

Neerman says he's never talked to Abbott about the investigation. Abbott spokesman Jerry Strickland said the attorney general's office was offering help similar to what was provided in 2007, when Abbott handled the investigation and prosecution of former Constable Mike Dupree, whose resignation led to Cortes' appointment.

Strickland said Abbott had no political agenda.

"Put simply, we're just trying to help," he said, "just as we did two years ago with the Dupree case."