Strayhorn Cracks Down on Lobbyists

Continuing her rampage against government-affiliated organizations deemed corrupt, State Comptroller and indepedent gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn directed her latest assault against Texas lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates. The private firm, which deals with members of Congress, the White House, and a smattering of other higher-ups in Washington, previously held a lucrative $15,000/mo agreement with Texas, in exchange for which it was expected to obtain a maximum of federal funding for various state-funded programs.

The Comptroller Office's audit was prompted in part by the redundancies of having both C&A, a private firm, and the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations concurrently lobbying Washington, and in part owing to recent allegations of blatant cronyism:

[From the Statesman]

Cassidy & Associates recently has come under scrutiny:

•for the close ties some of its staff have to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

•because it won the state contract over competing firms that met more of the state's criteria and received higher initial ratings from state workers reviewing the bids,

•for campaign donations that Cassidy & Associates officers made to U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, at the same time that the firm was securing payments from the state.

Naturally, it doesn't hurt that this is an election year, and that Strayhorn could use all the publicity she can get. We're just sayin'. Regardless, for the time being, funding to the organization has been cut off, pending a more thorough investigation.