September 23, 2015 6:08 PM

Attorneys for TEC and MQ Sullivan clash at Appeals Court over whether he lied about his place of residence to avoid fine for illegal lobbying

Tim Dunn’s spokesman has claimed to live in Denton County; at least one of the Justices seemed skeptical of Sullivan’s claims about where he actually lives

FORT WORTH – Attorneys for the Texas Ethics Commission on Wednesday asked the Second Court of Appeals here in Cowtown to set aside a ruling from a state district court judge in Denton County who dismissed the lobby case against Michael Quinn Sullivan.

The two sides in the case clashed mainly over whether Sullivan actually lives in Denton County, where he appealed his $10,000 fine for illegal lobbying, and whether Sullivan venue shopped to be able to avoid fighting this in an Austin courtroom.

Sullivan has denied he lobbied without registering as required by Texas law.

During the brief hearing, the TEC’s attorneys laid out the scheme under which they argue Sullivan “scrambled” to change his residency after he was hit with a record fine for illegally lobbying The Legislature without registering. That finding by the commission is on hold while this case plays out in court.

Eric Nichols, outside counsel for the TEC, told Appeals Court Justices that the case never should have been heard in Denton County, where Sullivan claims to live and where the first judge to hear the case turned out be one of Sullivan’s followers on Twitter.

By Scott Braddock