Judge Allows Attorney General to Pick Sides in Coach Leach Case
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Austin Judge Paul Davis denied a motion to disqualify Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from the public records fight between Dolcefino Consulting and Texas Tech over the firing of Coach Mike Leach.
Lawyers for Dolcefino Consulting argued that Paxton had a conflict of interest since Paxton is supposed to help enforce the right of Texans to see public records, but his office is also supposed to represent state universities at the same time.
Dolcefino Consulting attorney Michael Hurst had argued the conflict violated our due process rights in the two-and-a-half-year-long fight with Texas Tech.
When talking about the conflicts of interest that the Attorney General’s Office had, Hurst said, “Even Ray Charles could see that, and he is blind, and he is dead.”
Judge Davis’ order said that the Attorney General’s office should represent Texas Tech University simply because they are given the authority to do so in the Texas Government Code.
“Texas Tech has destroyed records, lied about the existence of public records, tried to significantly overcharge us for records, and the result is the public official who is supposed to protect the public right to know is instead allowed to be the lawyer for the folks breaking the law,” said Wayne Dolcefino, President of Houston-based investigative media company Dolcefino Consulting. “The public right to know was the clear victim in this ruling because Texans are now forced to complain about the bad guys to the bad guys’ lawyer if they need help. It is a total joke.”
Dolcefino Consulting has still not been able to take the sworn deposition of a single Texas Tech official in the two-and-a-half-year-old lawsuit. Documents released accidently prove that the school lied to fans and donors about Coach Leach. They also prove that Texas Tech hid public records.
“We want a jury to rule on this conduct,” Dolcefino said. “If the Attorney General has decided he will pick the side of a government agency over the public right to know and the transparency that the citizens of the great state of Texas deserve, then we want a jury to send a message.”
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