Bush Named In Lawsuit
The American Civil Liberties Union has named Gov. George W. Bush and the Texas Department of Public Safety as defendants in a lawsuit alleging state police violated the free-speech rights of a group of demonstrators.
Environmentalists allege in the suit filed Monday that the Republican presidential front-runner gave state troopers "unbridled discretion" to target protesters picketing on a public sidewalk in front of the Governor's Mansion.
"The Texas Constitution does not stop at the sidewalk in front of the Governor's Mansion," said Rick Abraham, executive director of Texans United, one of the environmental groups suing Bush. Abraham said he was arrested twice.
Bush's office contends the protesters were arrested because they failed to remain within the area set aside for demonstrations.
"The decision regarding protesters was made by the Department of Public Safety to protect the safety of pedestrians and protesters around the governor's mansion," said Bush spokesman Ray Sullivan.
"They were concerned that protesters blocking sidewalks could result in people walking in the street or otherwise jeopardizing their safety," Sullivan said.
In another case, District Judge John Dietz quashed a subpoena seeking Bush's testimony in a whistleblower case filed by a former head of the Texas Funeral Service Commission.
Attorney General John Cornyn had argued that Bush should not be forced to testify. "This is not a search for the truth. This is about harassment. This is about politics," he told the judge.
Eliza May alleges she was fired as head of the funeral commission over an investigation of Service Corp. International, a Houston-based funeral company that had given campaign contributions to Bush. Her lawyers want to question Bush about the investigation, which resulted in recommended fines of $445,000.
The company denies wrongdoing and says the commission misinterpreted the state embalming law. It is contesting the fines.
Cornyn said the state government is sued 10 times a day, and if the governor were forced to testify in each one he would have no time for anything else.