June 18, 2013 4:01 PM

LEHMBERG ISSUES STATEMENT: PUBLIC INTEGRITY PROSECUTIONS REMAIN RESPONSIBILITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY DA

"The Governor’s veto removed the funding for the Public Integrity Unit, but the responsibility for these cases remains with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office."

Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg today issued the following statement:

“Today I appeared before the Travis County Commissioners Court to give them information related to the operation of the Public Integrity Unit of the District Attorney’s Office so that the Commissioners can formulate any plan they deem appropriate to continue the operation of the Unit.

“The Public Integrity Unit is a division of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office with 35 employees who handle the investigation and prosecution of fraud and corruption cases that must be prosecuted in Travis County. The State of Texas first funded the Public Integrity Unit in 1982 in recognition that the responsibility for handling offenses relating to state government lies with the Travis County District Attorney.

“The General State section of the Public Integrity Unit handles cases related to state government. It is important to note that these cases -- theft of state property, the filing of false paperwork with state agencies, corruption by state officials -- are the responsibility of the Travis County District Attorney, whether the State provides funding or not, because the offenses occur in this county, just as they would be the responsibility of other district attorneys for crimes occurring in their county.

“The Public Integrity Unit also handles cases involving insurance fraud and various types of tax fraud, primarily motor fuels tax fraud and sales tax fraud.

“The Governor’s veto removed the funding for the Public Integrity Unit, but the responsibility for these cases remains with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.”