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Eissler fined $10k for misuse of funds
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By T.L. Hamilton
The Texas Ethics Commission fined state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, $10,600 for using campaign funds to pay his wife to manage his campaign and on rent for an Austin condominium he and his wife own, in violation of the state election code.
The fine is the second largest levied by the TEC this year.
In addition to the fine, Eissler will have to reimburse his campaign funds $18,106.53, which he paid his wife and spent on the condo.
Asked Friday if he agreed with the TEC decision, Eissler said, “That’s their job; I had no input into the decision.”
Eissler paid his wife Linda $54,000 for undocumented services, which he told the TEC were to manage his campaign.
Linda Eissler was his bookkeeper, scheduler and secretary, and he hired her as a “cost-saving measure,” Eissler told the TEC, according to the report.
He also paid her for reimbursements for auto leases, auto expenses and other expenses, he said.
Of the amount he paid Linda Eissler, $17,500 fall within the statute of limitations of when the complaint was filed.
The election code prohibits officeholders or candidates from using campaign funds to pay spouses for personal services.
“It was a practice that once I found out I shouldn’t do it, I stopped,” Eissler said.
Eissler was one of five Republican state legislators called out by the Texas Democratic Party in September 2006 for what the party said was an “improper and possibly illegal practice" of using campaign contributions to buy second homes.
Election code states that “a candidate or officeholder may not knowingly make or authorize a payment from a political contribution to purchase real property or to pay the interest on or principal of a note for the purchase of real property.”
According to the TEC, Eissler paid his wife $17,600 from his campaign account for rental payments on a condominium he and Linda Eissler owned.
The payments from Eissler to his wife were made between January 2004 and June 2006 at a rate of $500 per month and were listed in Eissler’s campaign finance reports filed with the TEC from 2004-06.
The reports described the payments as “Condo Rent,” “Reimbursement – Condo Rent” or “Reimburse Condo Payment.”
A lending bank, Hometown Mortgage Co. Inc., lent $162,000 to Rob and Linda Eissler for the condo’s purchase.
Eissler told the TEC that the condo’s mortgage costs $1,600 per month, and that “no portion of any payment listed as rent” was used to pay the condo’s mortgage.
The condo, located in the Hyde Park area on the north side of downtown Austin, was valued at $204,831 in 2007 by the Travis County Appraisal District and measures 1,202 square feet.
Eissler told the TEC that his reimbursements to Linda Eissler were for general living expenses, such as trash and water service and homeowner’s association dues.
“I am aware the I used the word ‘rent’ on the report,” he stated to the TEC. “However, for me, the use for the word ‘rent’ is interchangeable with an expense.”
According to the TEC report, a legislator can use political contributions for utility bills for a house he or she owns in Austin.
However, the TEC found that Eissler did not properly document those expenses, a violation of the election code.
Eissler said he began to gather living expense documentation after learning that paying rent on his condominium was not allowed.
He provided copies of January through December 2006 invoices addressed to his son, who also lived in the condo, that total $750.43 for electricity, waste disposal, drainage and street service and late fees.
Eissler also submitted statements for housekeeping services, drinking water delivery, a home security system, cable television service and homeowner’s insurance.
“As it turned out the expenses totaled about that amount – $500 per month,” he said. “So $500 was a good guess.”
With all expenses accounted for, Eissler said, a remaining $13 per month went to incidental repairs and maintenance.
“I thought I’d pay my share of the expenses,” Eissler said of his condo payments. “You could call it my rent or my expenses. Little did I know that rent (for a condo I own) was a bad word.”
Eissler said he began reimbursing the campaign fund about a year ago and finished in March. He also paid the fine by March.
Only one other person so far this year has received a steeper fine from the TEC than Eissler.
State senator Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, was fined $17,300 for failing to report a variety of political expenditures and making improper payments.
The most common TEC fine amount is $100, used in 24 cases this year, followed by $500 and $200, according to documentation on the commission’s website.
Calls for this story to Bruce Tough, Eissler’s campaign treasurer and The Woodlands Township board member, were unreturned.
The fine is the second largest levied by the TEC this year.
In addition to the fine, Eissler will have to reimburse his campaign funds $18,106.53, which he paid his wife and spent on the condo.
Asked Friday if he agreed with the TEC decision, Eissler said, “That’s their job; I had no input into the decision.”
Eissler paid his wife Linda $54,000 for undocumented services, which he told the TEC were to manage his campaign.
Linda Eissler was his bookkeeper, scheduler and secretary, and he hired her as a “cost-saving measure,” Eissler told the TEC, according to the report.
He also paid her for reimbursements for auto leases, auto expenses and other expenses, he said.
Of the amount he paid Linda Eissler, $17,500 fall within the statute of limitations of when the complaint was filed.
The election code prohibits officeholders or candidates from using campaign funds to pay spouses for personal services.
“It was a practice that once I found out I shouldn’t do it, I stopped,” Eissler said.
Eissler was one of five Republican state legislators called out by the Texas Democratic Party in September 2006 for what the party said was an “improper and possibly illegal practice" of using campaign contributions to buy second homes.
Election code states that “a candidate or officeholder may not knowingly make or authorize a payment from a political contribution to purchase real property or to pay the interest on or principal of a note for the purchase of real property.”
According to the TEC, Eissler paid his wife $17,600 from his campaign account for rental payments on a condominium he and Linda Eissler owned.
The payments from Eissler to his wife were made between January 2004 and June 2006 at a rate of $500 per month and were listed in Eissler’s campaign finance reports filed with the TEC from 2004-06.
The reports described the payments as “Condo Rent,” “Reimbursement – Condo Rent” or “Reimburse Condo Payment.”
A lending bank, Hometown Mortgage Co. Inc., lent $162,000 to Rob and Linda Eissler for the condo’s purchase.
Eissler told the TEC that the condo’s mortgage costs $1,600 per month, and that “no portion of any payment listed as rent” was used to pay the condo’s mortgage.
The condo, located in the Hyde Park area on the north side of downtown Austin, was valued at $204,831 in 2007 by the Travis County Appraisal District and measures 1,202 square feet.
Eissler told the TEC that his reimbursements to Linda Eissler were for general living expenses, such as trash and water service and homeowner’s association dues.
“I am aware the I used the word ‘rent’ on the report,” he stated to the TEC. “However, for me, the use for the word ‘rent’ is interchangeable with an expense.”
According to the TEC report, a legislator can use political contributions for utility bills for a house he or she owns in Austin.
However, the TEC found that Eissler did not properly document those expenses, a violation of the election code.
Eissler said he began to gather living expense documentation after learning that paying rent on his condominium was not allowed.
He provided copies of January through December 2006 invoices addressed to his son, who also lived in the condo, that total $750.43 for electricity, waste disposal, drainage and street service and late fees.
Eissler also submitted statements for housekeeping services, drinking water delivery, a home security system, cable television service and homeowner’s insurance.
“As it turned out the expenses totaled about that amount – $500 per month,” he said. “So $500 was a good guess.”
With all expenses accounted for, Eissler said, a remaining $13 per month went to incidental repairs and maintenance.
“I thought I’d pay my share of the expenses,” Eissler said of his condo payments. “You could call it my rent or my expenses. Little did I know that rent (for a condo I own) was a bad word.”
Eissler said he began reimbursing the campaign fund about a year ago and finished in March. He also paid the fine by March.
Only one other person so far this year has received a steeper fine from the TEC than Eissler.
State senator Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, was fined $17,300 for failing to report a variety of political expenditures and making improper payments.
The most common TEC fine amount is $100, used in 24 cases this year, followed by $500 and $200, according to documentation on the commission’s website.
Calls for this story to Bruce Tough, Eissler’s campaign treasurer and The Woodlands Township board member, were unreturned.
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Reader Comments
mdonn76405 wrote on Nov 8, 2008 12:37 PM:
" Eissler has even more fines
http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/sworncomp/orderlst.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6101382.html
Ethics panel fines Woodlands legislator
Eissler used campaign funds for wife's work, condo expenses
By RENÉE C. LEE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Nov. 7, 2008, 10:27PM
A lawmaker from The Woodlands has been ordered to pay more than $28,000 for illegally using campaign money to pay his wife for office services and for certain living expenses at an Austin condominium.
Republican Rep. Rob Eissler had until Nov. 1 to pay a $10,600 fine for violating state law and to reimburse $18,106 to his campaign fund, says a Texas Ethics Commission order.
The final order was issued Oct. 30 after Eissler met its stipulations.
The commission received four complaints against Eissler, all accusing him of misappropriating campaign funds. One of the complaints was filed by Woodlands resident Mike Donnelly in August 2007.
If your going to make law, follow it! "
http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/sworncomp/orderlst.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6101382.html
Ethics panel fines Woodlands legislator
Eissler used campaign funds for wife's work, condo expenses
By RENÉE C. LEE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Nov. 7, 2008, 10:27PM
A lawmaker from The Woodlands has been ordered to pay more than $28,000 for illegally using campaign money to pay his wife for office services and for certain living expenses at an Austin condominium.
Republican Rep. Rob Eissler had until Nov. 1 to pay a $10,600 fine for violating state law and to reimburse $18,106 to his campaign fund, says a Texas Ethics Commission order.
The final order was issued Oct. 30 after Eissler met its stipulations.
The commission received four complaints against Eissler, all accusing him of misappropriating campaign funds. One of the complaints was filed by Woodlands resident Mike Donnelly in August 2007.
If your going to make law, follow it! "
drivermom wrote on Nov 8, 2008 2:31 PM:
" Perhaps some digging needs to be done with his side kick Tommy Boy Williams! Where there is smoke there is bound to be fire. "
drivermom wrote on Nov 8, 2008 6:08 PM:
" Thanks for the info mdon --- it seems to me that Williams and Eissler believes that their district lies solely in The Woodlands. They both need a wake up call to wake them up. Thuder2 summed it up ---- I guess that since they think they make up the laws they don't have to follow them! About a year or so ago I wrote Tommy Williams office over a concern and he never called me back or acknowledged that I had contacted him. That pretty much done it for me! "
Nicoleshelby wrote on Nov 8, 2008 8:21 PM:
" The words honest and politicians don't go together. Right or left it doesn't matter. Corruption doesn't favor a side. I wonder if any start out honest? Someone that sees it and doesn't speak out is no better than the crook. I guess some of us are just going to be poor, but guilt free. I doubt 10k will dent his lifestyle. Most of us would be fired for what he did. He isn't fired, just smacked on the hand like a child. What a small fine for a man that probably has gotten rich off of the average tax payer. Shame. Shame. Now it is the Democrats turn to strip America, and they will. Corruption favors no political agenda. It is our responsibility to stop it! "
ollie wrote on Nov 8, 2008 8:40 PM:
" Just another crook lining his pockets as an elected official. I bet he says he's tough on crime. If he is, turn himself in and go to jail. Interesting that he runs as a "conservative Republican" with family values. Resign, you hypocrite. When are we in Montgomery County going to wake up quit voting for someone just because someone says they are "Republican". There are low life scum ball crooks in each party. This is just another one. "
thunder2 wrote on Nov 8, 2008 9:43 AM: