Agents raid Texas Democrat's offices

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

Authorities raided the offices of an influential Democratic donor on Friday, prompting accusations by the donor's attorneys that the raid was politically motivated.

The state attorney general's office said it was assisting the Nueces County district attorney in the criminal investigation of Mauricio Celis, 36, who has given money to major Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton and is the subject of numerous ongoing lawsuits and charges.

Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican, sued Celis in November, accusing him of practicing law without a license. Agents from Abbott's office were among those involved in the Friday search of Celis' Corpus Christi office.

"What is becoming abundantly clear is that we're looking at a political vendetta by an openly ambitious Republican politician in Austin who wants to score points by persecuting a prominent Democrat in South Texas," said Tony Canales, an attorney for Celis.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080105/ap_on_re_us/donor_scandal_2

[alarimer]

1. It is not a political vendetta

Celis is a crook, plain and simple.

[salin]

9. I know nothing about Celis or this case, but this is what many said

was one of the problems prosecuters were going to have across the country in the wake of the blatant politicization of the DOJ - that across the country calls of political prosecutions (which have occured - see Siegelman) will muddy up even legitimate cases.

[alarimer]

12. That's true

It does muddy the waters all around.

This Celis case is just very strange. Of course everything I have heard about it comes from the local media which is not exactly the New York Times.

[rodeodance]

2. and Tom DeLay is still on the loose.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Would sure like to know WHY he's still out flapping around. We all know where he belongs! n/t

[tom_paine]

3. Law enforcement has been so corrupted by Bushies it is impossible to tell.

When the greater criminals are the Bushies in charge of law enforcement, especially since this is a Bushie Special to move against Democrats during an election year and we have seen how the entire exexcutive branch has been Bushified/Nazified for the same reasons the Nazis did it, to ensure perpetual power and use The State as an appendage of the Bushie/Nazi Party.

It is possible this is legitimate and this person is a crook, pure and simple.

I loathe living in a totalitarian nation so parasitized and shot through with corruption throughout that I cannot be sure of anything anymore.

[bahrbearian]

25. Thats all part of the plan

Tear down the Cia and the FBI, there is no-one to Chase you, tear up the Constitution and there are no laws to charge with, prop up the economy, steal Billions,and go back to the Castle.

[defendandprotect]

4. We have so many thugs now in government, the criminals are running the show--!!!

And they're giving us plenty to look at ---

[TexasLinda]

5. Celis related article mentioned on STC

From South Texas Chisme - Maurico Celis' insurance company doesn't want to defend him

There's lots more on Celis at this link. It's rumored that this mess had a lot to do with a wealthy lawyer (and close friend of Celis) pulling out of the race for U.S. Senate in Texas.

Edited to add: The stories around Celis have been followed much like a soap opera in South Texas. Illegal lawyering is only one of the charges against him. The whole hot tub incident, with him flashing a badge while in his bathrobe so he could take custody of a naked woman, has got him in hot water too (pun intended).

[ClintonTyree]

6. There are bad guys on both sides.....

and if the charges are true it's a good thing he's being uprooted. It'd be nice to think that Democrats would be above the seedy and dirty part of politics that Republicans have raised to an art form.

[Didereaux]

7. Tothe best of my knowledge there is not one single honest politician in Texas. thats the facts

[NoPasaran]

10. Your facts are for shit

[GOPisEvil]

16. The best of your knowledge isn't very good.

:eyes:

[Didereaux]

17. ROFLMAO- 2 responses but NO names of TX pols! Molly Ivens remains correct

[theredpen]

21. Up yerz, crypto-yankee

Eddie Bernice Johnson
Sheila Jackson Lee

[panzerfaust]

20. To those who do not agree: Name One

Though, truthfully, I confess that I am quite cynical and do not believe that any person, in any state, who can actually get elected has not been compromised.

[Xenotime]

11. Typical repug tactic. First move. Take out the supporters.

Who's next? Warren Buffett?

[L0oniX]

13. Jack booted Bushite thugs

[Robbien]

14. Wait a minute. Why does the headline scream Democrat? He is not a politician

He is just a suspected crook who gives to politicians.

When Abramoff was in all the papers, headlines didn't scream a GOPer was a crook.

[TexasLinda]

15. I noticed that too.

Celis never even ran for office. Why didn't the headlines read "Agents Raid Phony Lawyer's Office" instead? The issue is not that he gave money to Democrats. The issue is how he made that money.

[NYC]

23. The headline led me to believe he was a politician.

I'm sure that was intended.

[Doctor_J]

18. Expect the Bushies to ramp up the terrorism of Dems this year

And Big Media to run with the "Both Parties have ethical problems" meme.

[panzerfaust]

19. In Texas, you will NEVER be able to find the truth.

The guy might well be a scum bag (? I can practice law in Mexico ??), some democrats are.

Y'all might thank on a couple of years ago when the Great State 'O was arresting democratic state congresscritters 'cause they was missing sessions jus' in order to deny the PubThugs a quarry for legal-not redistricting.

God rules here in The Lone Star, and he ain't no demonocrat.

[Stewie]

22. Not politically motivated

The investigation was started by the Nueces County DA Carlos Valdez, who's a Democrat. The crook is just claiming it's politically motivated because the state AG is assisting, and there are lots of people who think EVERYTHING's a conspiracy.

[alarimer]

24. Plus the headline is misleading, as others have pointed out

He may or may not be a Democrat himself but he is certainly not a Democratic politician, not elected to anything. They point out that this crook is a Democrat and never point out that Abramoff was a Republican. I don't think the investigation is politically motivated.