Rosemary Lehmberg Travis County Dist. Atty. PO Box 1784, Austin, TX 78767 Monday, September 1, 2014 To the Integrity Unit and to the District Attorney of Travis County and the County attorney for Travis County. Once again I come to you asking for your help in investigating crimes against the citizens of Travis County. Rosemary Lehmberg the Travis County DA has accepted a bribe from a law firm known as Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith, attorneys for channel Austin and Rosemary Lehmberg. I filed a complaint with the District Attorneys Office about Channel Austin and its attorneys. On February 25, 2013. Now I know why Rosemary Lehmberg did nothing. She has been bought and paid for by this law firm. My complaint was against the attorney representing channel Austin is Clark Richard the brother of her attorney Dan Richards, both sons of Gov. Ann Richards; She must be so proud, and partners in the law firm Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith. Now I understand that the district attorney had a conflict of interest and turned a blind eye to what Clark Richard was doing. Looting the nonprofit channel Austin for his own personal gain. Were talking billable hours defrauding the government for we can only call the worst defense and representation of nothing more than a criminal organization known as Channel Austin a nonprofit that has the duties to perform cable access for the city of Austin. Managed by Rondella Hawkins, Managing Office of Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs City of Austin Starting in 2011 I filed multiple open records request to the city of Austin, Rondella Hawkins and to channel Austin about what I think is going on there. These open record requests were never answered. Because they knew that there was no repercussion at all. Lets face it they bought the district attorney off by giving free legal services or having the Dist. Atty. owe them over $214,000. Its hard to investigate someone when you owe him or her a large sum of money. Just because these 2 brothers and this law firm has decided to corrupt public officials and milk billable hours out of nonprofit for their own personal gain. I truly feel the law firm of Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith should be treated like the organized crime organization that it is. The definition of organized crime is 2 or more people coming together to commit a felony this is the law firm Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith and the 2 brothers. One brother represents and befriends the Dist. Atty. So she looks the other way; then other brother and all the clients belonging to their firm gets a free pass on any investigation or criminal prosecution. I guess that is what slipping $214,000 buys you these days. I constantly complain to the Texas Atty. Gen. Greg Abbott about the violations of the open meetings act and the violations of open records but the response from the Atty. Gen.s office was always it was up to the local district attorney and the integrity unit to do any prosecution under the statutes. These attorneys knew that this would never happen because they had the Dist. Atty. Rosemary Lehmberg. in their hip pocket. In the complaint about Channel Austin I detailed purchasing used equipment from board members for over $3000, equipment like this are normally donated free of charge but since a board member was selling this equipment to the nonprofit and at a greatly inflated price. The nonprofit also had bounced checks totaling over $600 in one month. Employees using the equipment billing for their time and services at the tune of over $9000 in one month. Not bad for a nonprofit organization to pay their employees but the problem is the nonprofit is not there for employees to make extra money for work for hire. their paid by the city to work with citizens. Channel Austin is opened Monday through Friday from 8 to 5. But citizens are not allowed in the building during this time theyre only allowed nights and weekends when staff is not there. Please read the letter sent to the Travis County Dist. Atty. on February 25, 2013 everything is still the same lets face it nothings been done. I also filed several written complaints and two telephone conversations directly with Travis County Atty. David Escamilla. I complained about how the city of Austin violated the open records law. I had a meeting with the city to disclose open records he had one of his representatives sit in on the meeting. And David Escamilla the Travis County attorney is completely aware of the criminal allegations against channel Austin and the attorneys representing channel Austin and said nothing and has done nothing. Just like when he took over the lawsuit to remove Rosemary he did as little as possible. Truly gross incompetence, just protecting an other Democrat. The County attorney is quite aware of the problems of channel Austin. In our verbal conversations the minute I mentioned the name he said “Oh yeah those guys Ive heard of them everybody complains. But hes done nothing but turn a blind eye. I guess hes in the pocket of this law firm as well who knows? David Escamilla the Travis County attorney is responsible filing complaints about open meetings and open records but he does nothing to channel Austin. I have repeatedly asked when the next board meeting is and get no response what are the salaries of the employees of channel Austin no response, I asked just for the names of the citizens actually using the facility. No response. On the citys website they claim over 500 citizen users but cannot give you one name and contact number of anyone who is a media producer for channel Austin better known as citizens. A little background, public access community television was founded in the 1974 to bridge the digital divide. In 1974 video cameras cost tens of thousands of dollars editing equipment was just right behind the video and most citizens cannot afford airtime at all. Fast forward to 2014 there is no divide any longer. Every computer laptop tablet and smart phone has the capability of shooting editing and posting video free of charge. Making the services of channel Austin completely obsolete and irrelevant to todays time and market. Simply put obsolete. But this obsolete nonprofit milks $1.5 million out of the city budget and tax payers pocket. This is one of the reasons theyre hiding who actually use the facility the actual count is around 90 or less producers the city claims 500 but gives no proof. The Travis County Dist. Atty. has prosecuted public access community television in 2005 removing the executive director John Villarreal who embezzled over $300,000. So this is not the 1st time the Dist. Atty. had to come to the rescue of citizens from corruption at public access television. Due to the County attorney and the Dist. Atty. turning a blind eye to whats going on at Channel Austin and the city of Austin. Rondell Hawkins will not disclose who uses channel Austin cannot give them 500 names will not tell me the salaries of employees keep saying do not have this information this is just a lie the contract signed by channel Austin dictates that this information has to be given to the city on a quarterly basis. My hopes in prayers that there is least one person who is in the Dist. Atty.s office that took the oath to uphold the law is still working there. It is quite clear that Rosemary Lehmberg has violated her oath of office and accepted bribe. She should be removed from office as soon as possible. She is no better than the criminals that she was hired to prosecutes. Or in my case the criminals that she turns a blind eye too. If the office is unable to investigate these allegations I would like to suggest that you forward them to the attorney generals office or the federal government, FBI or Justice Department to take over the investigation. Because the citizens have lost all confidence in the system in Travis County. Lets go over the last 9 months of the Travis County District Attorneys Office. 1. She was arrested for DWI. Date: May 9th – Rosemary Lehmberg released from jail and seeks professional treatment Date: April 19th: Rosemary Lehmberg accepts harshest punishment for first time DWI 2. She got the lightest sentence ever. In open records request not one other person ever received a sentence as light at the Travis County DAs office according to the records. When asked documentation in open records the response is no records found. 3. Gov. Perry cuts off funding costing the taxpayers over $8 million. 8 or 10 employees working for Travis County citizens lost their jobs. For doing nothing they did not drive drunk they were not convicted of a DWI but Rosemary sacrificed them to save herself. Complete disregard for her employees just like when she was in jail. 4. . OBrien files lawsuit against Rosemary Lehmberg for being drunk in public. Estimated costs for the public unknown, Rosemary owed over $227,000 with the legal fees but she never paid them. 5. Assistant District Attorney Stephanie McFarland stood before a Texas district court judge for the second time in 15 months to hear the court’s findings that she had illegally and improperly withheld evidence from the defense. 6. The Texas Civil Rights Project has filed suit against several Travis County law enforcement agencies, accusing them of listening in on private attorney-client conversations. 7. The district attorney claims in political ads she prosecutes Democrats as well as Republicans. This is just another deception. When asked in open records about these non existing records. Just another lying politician will say anything to get reelected. But this erodes trust in our elected officials all of them not just her. 8. ADA arrested after DAs April DWI arrest August 15, 2013 Assistant District Attorney Brandon Grunewald 9. Steve Brand A former top prosecutor is suing Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, alleging she fired him after he triggered a Texas Rangers review of her actions when he reported that she tried to pressure him into protecting an Austin police homicide detective under two internal affairs investigations. 10. Travis County officials have hired an outside attorney to represent the county and District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg in a wrongful termination lawsuit at a rate of $600 an hour. That rate is higher than the county has typically paid for outside lawyers in recent years and followed what Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe said was a request by Lehmberg for outside lawyers. Jed Sam Biscoe approved $600 a hour, this is just gouging the citizens making the taxpayers pay exorbitant legal fees for her misconduct, its been reported Gov. Perrys attorneys only cost between 300 and 400 per hour. It must be nice to spend the taxpayers money with no regard. Also remember the DWI charge against Judge Sam Biscoe was quietly dismissed. There is no. Ill scratch your back you scratch my back? 11. Kerry OBrien, the same man who initiated the removal suit against Lehmberg, filed an ethics complaint against her on Aug. 8. The Texas Ethics Commission has five days to determine to accept or reject it. OBrien alleged an issue with her campaign finance reports involving more than $227,000 in attorney fees she paid to Austin the firm Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith, which defended her against the civil removal suit. She won and remained the district attorney. 12. Rosemary Lambert turned a blind eye to complaints filed against Channel Austin and the law firm of Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith. She received payment of legal services for $200,000 this is just a bribe by these attorneys. So lets get it straight she was arrested for drunk driving the government cut funding costing 10 jobs of good hard-working people that had done nothing wrong while OBrien files lawsuit to have her removed County attorney David Escamilla takes over and completely destroys any effort to remove her by sabotage. Prosecutors under her twice withheld evidence, Rosemary lies for the attorney saying it was just an accident. Then attorneys file suit against her in her office for violating the civil rights of their clients by listening in on their conversations. Another Dist. Atty. is arrested for DWI. She fires a valued attorney she elegists general racism but once again shes just a liar and now is paying $600 a hour for her attorneys by taxpayers dollars a ethic complaint has been filed for the bribery or accepting campaign donations without disclosing let’s face it that law firm owns her. You add all this up and how can you say that she is not corrupt the office is totally corrupt and every attorney working for the Travis County DAs should be fired and under criminal investigation of all cases they prosecuted in the last year should be investigated. So what are you going to do? If you think this will simply go away it wont and I will remind you what happened in Ferguson Missouri, as an example of what happens when the common man loses all faith in authority. This is only a matter of time for this happens here if somebody will step up to this criminal Dist. Atty. get her out of office and put her in jail where she belongs. If Travis County cannot take care of their own business then I would urge the County commissioners to ask the attorney general to step in or the federal government Justice Department or FBI to get involved with whats going on here in Travis County. Rosemary swore an oath, which seems to mean nothing to her. She shows us on a daily basis her absolute disregard for the law. I would like to discuss these matters Im available to anyone please contact David P Griffin, 512-804-9021. Thank you for your time look forward to your response and there will be a open records requests with this complaint. Respectfully years David P Griffin Editor the Damn News Open Records Requests to the city of Austin September 1, 2014 To: Rondella Hawkins, Managing Office of Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs City of Austin 1. On the citys website it says over 500 Citizen users please furnish these 500 names and contact information that you referred to? You will find this comment on the office of telecommunications regulation affairs. City of Austin, this is in reference to the citizens using the facility known as Channel Austin. In the last 12 months. 2. All digital files including salaries pay expenses that are digitally filed with the city of Austin every quarter due to the contract sign by Channel Austin. Im looking for the pay of the employees of channel Austin in the last 36 months Ive asked these 2 questions multiple times from the city of Austin, and there have flat refused to answer and violating the open records and open meeting laws of the state of Texas. To: Internal Affairs Austin police department Austin Police Department 715 E. 8th Street Austin, Texas 78701 (512) 974-5017 Steve Brand, was mentioned in several articles accusing Anthony Nelson, of wrongdoing possibly perjury. In the article it mentioned 2 internal investigations. Any documents, e-mail, letter or report concerning Steve Brand, Anthony Nelson and Dist. Atty. Rosemary Lehmberg’s at this time Im asking the city of Austin to waive any fees because it is in the best interest to get this information out to the public. Any documents that would be relevant in the last 24 months. If you have any questions feel free to contact me by e-mail, telephone 512-804-9021 or by snail mail, 6232 Paradise Manor Cir. marble Falls, TX 78654, Monday through Friday normal business hours. Thank you for your time. David P Griffin Open records requests and complaint September 1, 2014 Texas Rangers (Headquarters - Austin) [email protected] PO Box 4087Austin, Texas 78773-0600512-424-2160 Steve Brand, was mentioned in several articles accusing Anthony Nelson, of wrongdoing possibly perjury. In the article it mentioned 2 internal investigations. Any documents, e-mail, letter or report concerning Steve Brand, Anthony Nelson and Dist. Atty. Rosemary Lehmberg’s at this time Im asking the Texas Rangers to waive any fees because it is in the best interest to get this information out to the public. Any documents that would be relevant in the last 24 months. If you have any questions feel free to contact me by e-mail, telephone 512-804-9021 or by snail mail, 6232 Paradise Manor Cir. marble Falls, TX 78654, Monday through Friday normal business hours. Thank you for your time. David P Griffin Open records requests Rosemary Lehmberg Travis County Dist. Atty. PO Box 1784, Austin, TX 78767 Monday, September 1, 2014 1. Rosemary Lehmberg campaign on prosecuting just as many Democrats as she has Republican. Please produce a list of all the prosecutions that would be considered a Republican or prosecutions it would be considered democratic in the last 36 months. If the answer is no documents found please confirm that youre nothing but a liar and will say anything to get it elected 2 office this shows your lack of character. 2 Rosemary received the lightest sentence of anyone I can think of if this is not true please furnish name and conviction of anyone in the last 36 months whos been arrested pled guilty insert time in the County jail, just like Rosemary. 3. Still trying to find out if the Dist. Atty. Rosemary received special treatment what was the 5 conviction before she was convicted, and what was the 5 convictions after her guilty plea. This will tell us what really happens to DWI criminals that are convicted in Travis County lets just see the before 5 and the 5 after what were their sentences what was the outcome of these convictions how long did it take? 4. Has Travis County paid any invoices to the law firm Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith. 5. How many complaints against channel Austin or the city of Austin for failure to comply with the open records laws, are open meetings. 6. Any documents, e-mail and report, containing David P Griffin, Channel Austin and Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith. at this time Im asking the Travis County to waive any fees because it is in the best interest to get this information out to the public. Any documents that would be relevant in the last 24 months. If you have any questions feel free to contact me by e-mail, telephone 512-804-9021 or by snail mail, 6232 Paradise Manor Cir. marble Falls, TX 78654, Monday through Friday normal business hours. Thank you for your time. David P Griffin thedamnews/to_AG_1feb25-13.html Rosemary Lehmberg Travis County Dist. Atty. PO Box 1784, Austin, TX 78767 Monday, February 25, 2013 To; Gail Van Winkle, Assistant Dist. Atty. White collar crime unit. This is in response to the June 14, 2012 letter you sent me. Thank you for your response and I will take your advice and Im filing an open records request. But before I do I would like to point out a few problems I am seeing with Channel Austin, that just do not look right to me and I feel may need further investigation. A government body according to the attorney generals opinion on December 6, 2011 reference number 436593. The attorney generals clearly states that Channel Austin is a government body and is subject to all rules and regulations of a government body like open records and open government statues. This is just not the case, they have decided to ignore this ruling. Channel Austin is represented by legal counsel, The Richards Rodriguez & Skeitll Attorneys at Law and Daniel Scardino an attorney. and has been a board member since 2006, I was under the impression that board members can only serve for certain amount of time? This is not the case at Channel Austin. So there is no excuse for Channel Austin not knowing the Law’s and the consequences of this ruling on December 6, 2011. They had one year to comply and they have taken absolutely no action. Exhibit, AG a Gov. Body 12.6.2011 I asked if anybody was certified under the ruling, and have received no response. I asked if anyone has been certified in the open records request of service. These are all clear violations of the Open Records and Open Meetings Acts. I asked when the next board meeting would be held which should be open to the public and I got no response. These meetings dictate how taxpayer’s money is being spent but; there held completely in secret. This Government. Body does not recognize that they have to disclose this to the public. This has to be on the advice of their attorney. I feel that the attorneys and the board have made a conscious decision not to adhere to the Open Records requests. Exhibit, next board meeting for Channel Austin is? Financially how does this work? Employees receive compensation from the city of Austin for working with citizens at Channel Austin, the problem is employees work 8 to 5 Monday through Friday but citizens are not allowed in the facility at those times. The public is allowed there from 6:30PM to Midnight Monday, through Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but there is no staff there during these times? Only part-time equipment room staff that simply check the equipment out and make sure no one steals the place blind? Staff also charges the nonprofit for work for hire using city-owned equipment and city-owned facilities to perform this work for hire during the time theyre supposed to be working with citizens. How can you be working at 2 different places at the same time making two salaries? (Exhibit, employees checks), page 13 invoice from Orlando Lopez $2,800.00 Work for hire April 8-17 During the month of April he also received his salary from the City, $2,406.00 (Exhibit general ledger) Page 5, Orlando Lopez, 5,25,2011 received paycheck from city $1203.50 Page 6, Orlando Lopez, 6,3,2011 received work for hire $250 Page 6, Orlando Lopez, 6,3 2011 received Infinity Media Group received $500 Page 6, Orlando Lopez, 6,10 2011 received paycheck from sitting $1203.50 Page 7, Orlando Lopez, 6,24 2011 received paycheck $1203.50 For a total of $9,566.59 Staff members of channel Austin also have their own shows on the channels. Orlando Lopez, charges for his time working with citizens then he charges for his time working for work for hire, then his show the Infinity Hour also charges the nonprofit for services. Could this be the reason why channel Austin will not disclose how much employees make? In 3 short months Mr. Lopez has made almost $9,566, Nonprofit ? All the profits going to the employees. This has to be in direct conflict with the publics best interests. C Channel Austin doesnt own any equipment or building. This is furnished by the city; Channel Austin only has a management contract with the city. This has to be in conflict with the citizens needs. We all know that the survival instinct is greater than anything else, and when the nonprofit is losing money from the city budget cuts believe me it puts their own needs before the needs of the citizens. So now Channel Austin is nothing more than a private production company with fewer than 90 citizens using the facility according to their own records. (Exhibit Names of producers) But the contract they signed with the city authorizing the city to spend $1.5 million over the course of the next 3 years to benefit only 90 citizens? Thats if you can ever get anyone to tell you the truth of just how many people actually use the facility. I have asked the city of Austin and Rondella Hawkins multiple times; who is the contracting officer for the city Austin, who’s job is overseeing the contract with Channel Austin? (Exhibit, Response to 12/19/2011 Austin doesn’t have any payroll records is the Response from Rondella Hawkins) She tells me she doesnt know, this is just an outright lie by Rondella Hawkins a city official. If youll read the contract addendum that the city signed in 2007 that clearly states, the salary and compensation for all employees. But Ive asked several times under open records laws find this information sheet and Rondella just flat refuses to tell me this information. At the same time I have asked her how many citizens actually use Channel Austin. The city boasts over 500 active producers on their website but they cannot produce 500 names of 500 individuals who actually use it. They say nothing, why should they? Just who is to make them uphold the law? Certainly not the Rosemary Limber Dist. Atty. of Travis County. Not the Travis County attorney, who had a good case against the city Council but sat on his hands until the statue of limitations, ran out. So who, is actually going to make the city of Austin or Channel Austin up hold the law and be accountable? This situation is known to the city Cathy Tovo acknowledged they have received these requests and if you look at the people copied on the emails there should be no reason for them not to know about these requests. You also might want to look into the $2,250 for bookcases and obsolete video equipment purchase by Channel Austin, from Rip. Tear, Shred owned by Cathy Beaudoin. I remind you that Channel Austin is a nonprofit and has the right to use the city furnishings that are free of charge. Equipment such as this has been donated to Channel Austin multiple times so why are they purchasing such equipment from a board member? Example (Exhibit rip tear invoice Cathy Beaudoin) Cathy Beaudoin was a board member in 2008. (Exhibit PACT_Board_of_Directors) Is the owner of Rip, Tears, Shred Inc. (Exhibit Cathy Beaudoin | LinkedIn) General ledger page 3, check number 37562 Rip, Tear, Shred, Inc is marked office supplies. They do not sell office supplies? General ledger, page 5 check number 3778 from Rip, Tears, Shred, Inc invoice 10237, staff and board for $200. Exactly what cost $200? Why is she billing the nonprofit? It sounds like the good old days when John Villarreal was the Executive Director. He was convicted for embezzling over $300,000 of taxpayer’s money as Rondella Hawkins was in charge of overseeing the contract stood by and did nothing simply let the contract expire so Channel Austin and Linda Lekowski could take over. Rondella Hawkins made no effort to try to collect damages for the city. She did literally nothing. Once again this is the reason why she doesnt want to disclose information about Channel Austin, it just brings up more bad memories. You also may want to look at the bank records of Channel Austin, I found insufficient check charges billed to Channel Austin because Linda Lepkowski is handwriting checks to Rip, Tear, Shred owned by a board member, which caused the account to be overdrawn? This is clearly just mismanagement poor accounting and the taxpayers are paying thousands of dollars of NFS bank charges. Who is responsible for insufficient funds charges at a bank that is supplied with government money quote taxpayers money? (Exhibit CA-NSF $684) we have found in just one month $684 worth of NFS charges to Channel Austin from their bank, just how many more are there? Are the good citizens eating these charges? Just like in 2005 when the district attorney built a case against John Villarreal, the former director of Public Access Community Television, I feel if the white-collar crime unit would take a good a look at Channel Austin, you would be able to build the same case that youve done in the past. Because nothing has really changed just the names and faces. I feel sure when you look into this therell be many more questions, and I would be happy to help in any type of investigation if there is one. I ask you, just who is to enforce these laws? The Atty. Gen. is too busy filing lawsuits against the federal government because the Republican Party has ordered him to do so. This is not in the interest of the citizens of Texas but in the interests of the Republican Party. When will someone stand up for the rights of the citizens? I would add I am a good Republican and I pay my fair share to Republican candidates, and the city Austin is ran by Democrats so whats the problem go after these corrupt Democratic elected officials; Or has the Republican Party told you not to? I am not sure why the Atty. Gen. of Texas can only sue the federal government but not the city of Austin for ignoring the open records laws? Channel Austin attorneys also filed a completely false and misleading statements to the Atty. Gen.s office trying to get out of open records requests. I thought it was against the law to file a false and misleading statement to the state of Texas? b (Exhibit Monica Emilienburg Lawyer CA) The letter sent to the Attorney General dated; September 14, 2011 by Monica Emilienburg who is not the attorney of record for Channel Austin, was completely false and misleading. On September 15, of 2011 the contract changed and the information was completely irrelevant to the new circumstances of channel Austin. The attorney of record is Clark Richard. He would not sign the document knowing that it was false and misleading thats why he asked one of his colleagues instead. But he did Bill the taxpayers over $2600 for composing this false and misleading statement. (Exhibit CA_lawbill) page 4, invoice number 43717 $1,675 page 2, invoice number 44714 $ 550 For a total of $2,225 Can the lawyers for channel Austin tell an absolute lie and mislead the Atty. Gen.? Isnt making false statements illegal? Attached is a letter that I have sent to the Atty. General, also in this package you will find a CD with all the files in pdf, if you need hard copies I will be happy to supply. Thank you for your time and if I can be of further service to you in your search please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to assist. Very Truly Yours, David P. Griffin,The Damn News CC: Atty General City of Austin
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 00:45:39 +0000
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