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Mayors: Mincberg claims are ‘desperate mudslinging’
By CHARLOTTE AGUILAR
Three local mayors whose e-mail correspondence with Harris County Judge Ed Emmett was cited as an example of an ethics “scandal” Monday by Emmett’s opponent, David Mincberg, said neither the judge nor they violated the law.
Mayors Bob Kelly of West University Place, Richard Rothfelder of Southside Place and Cindy Siegel of Bellaire said they dealt with campaign, not county, staff in trying to sponsor an event for Emmett’s campaign, to be hosted by Rothfelder at his city’s community center.
Rothfelder characterized the charges — which Mincberg said he was bringing to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for investigation — as “desperate mudslinging.” The mayors’ correspondence was part of a series of e-mails which Mincberg and his press secretary Terry Abbott trumpeted in a series of news releases and at a news conference Monday. They said it showed Emmett was using his county e-mail and personnel to conduct his campaign.
All three mayors said they had dealt only with Emmett’s campaign staff, except in one instance.
“It is my understanding that there would need to be some sort of coordination with someone in Judge Emmett’s office to make sure the event got on his calendar and that there no conflict with any other matters,” Kelly said in an e-mail response to the Examiner’s request for his reaction.
Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford confirmed to ABC-13, the Examiner’s broadcast news partner, that Emmett’s executive assistant’s “... job is to keep note of those appointments ... there's nothing wrong with that."
Stafford cited a 1993 ruling from the Texas Ethics Commission that state resources and employees can be used to keep track of a candidate's schedule.
“What about talking about the real issues that have a real impact on our daily lives?” Siegel said. She called Emmett “a refreshing change from a lot of the ‘standard’ politicians,” and like Kelly and Rothfelder mentioned Emmett’s support of area mobility and drainage solutions as a reason for their support.
Siegel and Kelly said they had never met nor been contacted by Mincberg.
And all three mayors pointed out that they used their personal e-mails to correspond with the judge’s campaign — not their city addresses.
Mayors Bob Kelly of West University Place, Richard Rothfelder of Southside Place and Cindy Siegel of Bellaire said they dealt with campaign, not county, staff in trying to sponsor an event for Emmett’s campaign, to be hosted by Rothfelder at his city’s community center.
Rothfelder characterized the charges — which Mincberg said he was bringing to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for investigation — as “desperate mudslinging.” The mayors’ correspondence was part of a series of e-mails which Mincberg and his press secretary Terry Abbott trumpeted in a series of news releases and at a news conference Monday. They said it showed Emmett was using his county e-mail and personnel to conduct his campaign.
All three mayors said they had dealt only with Emmett’s campaign staff, except in one instance.
“It is my understanding that there would need to be some sort of coordination with someone in Judge Emmett’s office to make sure the event got on his calendar and that there no conflict with any other matters,” Kelly said in an e-mail response to the Examiner’s request for his reaction.
Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford confirmed to ABC-13, the Examiner’s broadcast news partner, that Emmett’s executive assistant’s “... job is to keep note of those appointments ... there's nothing wrong with that."
Stafford cited a 1993 ruling from the Texas Ethics Commission that state resources and employees can be used to keep track of a candidate's schedule.
“What about talking about the real issues that have a real impact on our daily lives?” Siegel said. She called Emmett “a refreshing change from a lot of the ‘standard’ politicians,” and like Kelly and Rothfelder mentioned Emmett’s support of area mobility and drainage solutions as a reason for their support.
Siegel and Kelly said they had never met nor been contacted by Mincberg.
And all three mayors pointed out that they used their personal e-mails to correspond with the judge’s campaign — not their city addresses.
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