Craddick feeling the heat

In June 2003, when a government watchdog group asked for copies of his official appointment calendar, Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick willingly obliged, providing the information with nothing held back.

But less than a year later, with Travis County prosecutors zeroing in on allegations of wrongdoing by political operatives with ties to Craddick, the Midland Republican provided the calendars under another request -- but with much of the information blacked out.

Though the political climate had changed, the state law had not.

So how was Craddick able to keep secret many of the details about his schedule?

"They're now in a political hot seat, that's the difference," said Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice, which requested and received Craddick's complete calendar.

"Citizens now can't even see who their top officials are meeting with."

On Thursday, Austin lawyer Cris Feldman filed a lawsuit against Craddick seeking to overturn Craddick's decision to keep secret many details about who he meets with and why. The speaker also is being sued by the Austin American-Statesman for refusing to make public his official phone records, as speakers in the past have done.

[snip]

Tom Smith, Texas director of the watchdog group Public Citizen, said the recent change in practice is troubling.

"The schedules of public officials have generally been public record for years, under the concept that what public officials are doing involving policy, with public money in public buildings, should be public business," he said.

"Now, Craddick is attempting to keep this information from being made public -- and you have to ask why."

From this mornings Austin American Statesman (subscription required - free)