Posted on 09/15/2009 2:28:58 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
MISSION – Embattled state Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election to an eighth term in 2010.
Citing recent indictments handed down against him, the legislator said in a statement that he must concentrate on clearing his name and spending time with his family.
“I worked effectively, fought hard and delivered for South Texas,” he said. “I will not apologize for standing up for our region.”
In July, a Travis County grand jury charged Flores with 16 counts of tampering with government documents and three counts of perjury, alleging he hid more than $847,000 in personal assets from the Texas Ethics Commission over a period of six years.
As a state legislator, he is required to file annual reports with the commission showing where he earns his income, any gifts he receives and any property he owns.
But through his attorney, Flores has characterized the missing reports as a “mistake” and chalked up the indictments against him as a political move.
The lawmaker’s announcement Tuesday now opens up the race for Texas House District 36 to a new candidate. Former teacher and probation officer Sandra Rodriguez, who gave the representative one of his closest challenges, during the 2008 Democratic primary has already announced her intention to run for the office again.
Several western Hidalgo County political operatives have also mentioned attorney Sergio Muñoz Jr. – son of former state Rep. Sergio Muñoz Sr. – as another possible candidate.
Flores, who won election in 1996 by defeating the elder Muñoz, became a polarizing figure among his constituents and colleagues during his 12 years in office.
While bringing home millions of dollars for projects benefiting his district, his reputation for pugnacious and hard-nosed politics drew many critics – including Texas Monthly, which described him as a “bully” in a June article naming him one of the state’s worst legislators
But Flores said Tuesday that he would never apologize for the way he represented his district – which stretches from Peñitas to parts of Pharr.
“Anyone can see, there is no doubt that I will leave House District 36 better than it was,” he said. “God bless Texas, and God bless District 36.”
Kino ping!
No apology needed Kino........yer going to jail ya criminal POS !
And don’t forget, one of his properties is a south Texas ranch where an illegal immigrant was allegedly beaten to death by one of Flores’ ranch hands, another illegal immigrant, who then fled to Mexico. He “didn’t know” the guy was illegal.
For a glimpse of what I was talking about, read this.
[South Texas:]Illegal immigrant kills one at state Rep. Flores’ ranch, police say
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2073097/posts
And he did so much to make us like Mexico. What a shame.
That’s what I remembered. Como se dice “slimeball” en espanol?
Bola del limo o Henry Cisneros?
Cisneros. Definitivamente. No debemos insultar el limo.
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