Call him Dan IM-Morales.
Posted on 06/26/2003 8:55:30 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Former AG Morales' bond revoked, jailed
BY NATALIE GOTT Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN - Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales, who awaits trial on federal fraud charges, was jailed Wednesday after a judge revoked his bond, saying there was inconsistent testimony in the case.
Morales, 46, pleaded innocent in April to charges that he and Marc Murr, a friend and an attorney, tried to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees for Murr resulting from the state's $17.3 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998.
At that court hearing, Morales sought a public defender to represent him, claiming he didn't have the $1 million it would take to hire private lawyers to defend him.
A financial statement later filed with the court showed he had almost $1 million in assets and about $925,000 in debts.
Prosecutors said Wednesday that while Morales was out on a personal recognizance bond, he filed loan applications to buy two cars, a Lexus and Mercedes. On one application, he wrote that he made $20,000 a month; on the other application, he wrote that he made $20,800 a month, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks to revoke Morales' bond since he claimed in court that he had no income, but claimed income on the loan applications.
Sparks ordered Morales' bond revoked and remanded him into custody. A court hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
The financial affidavit in April also showed Morales as self-employed and with $10,000 in a bank account. It valued his Austin home at $950,000. It listed a 1999 automobile worth $15,000 and a 1996 recreational boat worth $10,000. He listed his wife, a stepson and stepdaughter as dependents.
It also listed a mortgage debt of $825,000 and five credit cards with a total debt of $100,000.
It did not list his income or other financial information detailing why he would need a public defender, which he was required to submit in a sealed record to the judge in April.
The other federal charges pending Morales accuses him of filing a false tax return; contracting to buy a $775,000 house and using $400,000 in campaign funds for the purchase and home improvements; and making false statements to get a $600,000 mortgage.
Morales faces prison terms of five to 30 years on each count of the 12-count indictment, if convicted.
Morales was elected attorney general in 1990 and was re-elected to a second term in 1994. He chose not to run for re-election in 1998. He ran last year for the Democratic nomination for Texas governor, but lost the primary to multimillionaire Tony Sanchez.
In financial statements made public during the campaign, Morales listed pretax income of $1,148,197 for 1999 and $433,140 for 2000.
06/26/03
Say it aint so!
Call him Dan IM-Morales.
Jail isn't that bad Dan, except you can't smoke in there.
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