MEDIATE RELEASE - Feb. 28, 2008
SanContact: Sudie Sartor, (210) 496-2997
Email: press@tonykosub.com
Did Frank Corte accept illegal money?
As they say in politics, follow the money. In the case of embattled State Representative Frank Corte (R – District 122), money talks toll roads.
Corte's campaign finance report looks like a who's who laundry list of pro-toll interests: Hilco, Red McCombs, Terrell McCombs, Tim Tuggey, Union Pacific (for the Trans Texas Corridor), and Tim Word.
There are several smoking guns in his report, too. Frank Corte has taken money from Gary Bushell, the very same registered lobbyist that TxDOT illegally hired with taxpayer money to lobby elected officials in the path of the Trans Texas Corridor, which is the subject of a lawsuit against the state for TxDOT's taxpayer-funded lobbying.
"How can we be assured that the money Gary Bushell handed Frank Corte isn't the same taxpayer money paid to Bushell by TxDOT?" said Sudie Sartor with the Kosub campaign.
Invoices from the Rodman Company show Bushell has received more than $20,000 in lobbying fees from TxDOT. The total amount Gary Bushell has been paid by TxDOT for his lobbying has not been fully determined. (Invoice one and Invoice two)
Corte also took money from Dan Shelley, the controversial lobbyist who worked for Cintra, then went to work for Governor Perry during the exact time frame Cintra-Zachry was awarded the development rights to the Trans Texas Corridor TTC-35, and then Shelley went back to work for Cintra after cinching the deal.
To round out the who's who list giving money to Corte's campaign is Zachry's political action committee. Zachry is a bidding on the U.S. 281 toll project, was awarded the development rights to the Trans Texas Corridor TTC-35, and is bidding for the development rights on the Trans Texas Corridor TTC-69.
Frank Corte is for toll roads, to say anything contrary to that is patently false. In fact, Corte's lying to constituents in mailers, phone calls, and radio ads in an attempt to sugarcoat his voting record to get re-elected.
Voting records don't lie
Frank Corte has voted for every piece of toll legislation since 2001, including tolling existing freeways, market-based tolls (or "whatever the market will bear" in a Robin Hood scheme tolling one corridor to pay for others), the Trans Texas Corridor, putting our highways under the control of foreign companies, paying losing bidders up to $1 million, ending requirement of lowest bid contracts, and even voted to allow no bid contracts (HB 3588, SB 2702, SB 792, HB 2661, HB 3775).
RADIO DEBATE TODAY
Frank Corte and Tony Kosub square off on the Adam McManus Show this afternoon on KSLR AM 630 from 4:00-5:00 PM.
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