August 26, 2014 5:44 PM

Ethics Commission requesting more resources to deal with MQ Sullivan case

Battle could take years and potential conflicts raise the need for outside counsel

The executive director of the Texas Ethics Commission said on Tuesday that the agency will be asking for an additional $150,000 for outside counsel as it foregoes the assistance of Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office in the agency’s ongoing legal battle with Tim Dunn spokesman Michael Quinn Sullivan.

So far, the agency has spent about $14,000 of a $20,000 contract with Houston-based law firm Beck Redden.

Abbott’s office is normally charged with defending state agencies in legal matters but there are conflicts in this case. As Express-News reporter David Rauf reported over the weekend:

"The move to hire an outside law firm adds a new layer of political intrigue to a case that's already become one of the most highly publicized in the commission's roughly two-decade history.

For more than two years, the commission investigated Sullivan, recently fining the president of the anti-tax and limited-government group Empower Texans $10,000 for failing to register as a lobbyist in 2010 and 2011.

Now, the commission is girding for an appeal that could takes years to play out in district court. And the hiring of outside counsel is significant considering the case is flush with political overtones.

Abbott, a Republican, is the front-runner to replace Gov. Rick Perry as the state's top elected office. Sullivan is a central figure in the Texas tea party movement and derives vast influence as the head of one of the largest grass-roots organizations in the state. He's also endorsed Abbott's gubernatorial run, calling him an 'intellectual conservative who will speak out boldly for a stronger Texas.'"