February 25, 2015 9:18 AM

Key Democrat: Nearly a conflict of interest to hold off on funding of corruption watchdog

"Even under the most conservative leadership, i.e. Tom Craddick (as Speaker), we funded the public integrity unit.”

A key Texas House Democrat on Wednesday said it is “almost a conflict of interest” for lawmakers to make funding of the state’s corruption watchdog contingent on a potential restructuring of the Public Integrity Unit housed in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.

The House base budget proposal funds the PIU to the level requested by Travis County prosecutors: about $6.6 million. But, as proposed, the money cannot flow to the agency unless changes are made through legislation to address the concerns of critics who say the office engages in “partisan witch hunts.”

House Appropriations Vice Chair Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, said during a committee hearing that in his quarter century as a lawmaker, he’s never seen an agency funded in this manner. Huge problems with the Juvenile Justice Department did not keep its funding from being made available in the budget while lawmakers eyed reforms, Turner noted.

By Scott Braddock