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Anonymouse
David Tuthill
Craig Watkins
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02/22/06 Heinbaugh and
Tharp expose Craig Watkins as a deadbeat.
Dallas.org's Allen Gwinn warned us about Craig
Watkins (Craig
Watkins: Da Gangsta's DA?).
Anonymouse told us about Craig Watkins' padded resumé.
As Paul Harvey would say "here's the rest of the story" on Craig Watkins.
Ch. 8's
Chris Heinbaugh had a dynamite report Wednesday night on Watkins' problems with
paying taxes and loans and bills.
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Questions raised about DA
candidates finances  ;
Thursday, February 23, 2006
By
CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA-TV |
A News 8 investigation has raised
serious financial questions about a major primary candidate for Dallas
district attorney, Craig Watkins.
The probe looked into a history of
late payments, liens, lawsuits and close to $100,000 in delinquent personal
income taxes.
Two years ago, Watkins almost won the
district attorney's race and some consider him the
Democratic primary front runner.
"I'm not just running to be a
prosecutor, I'm running to be district attorney," Watkins said.
But court records may cause Watkins
to stumble.
In 2000, Watkins hired a contractor
to convert an old home into his current office building. The
contractor said Watkins would not pay his $59,013 bill
and he sued Watkins who later paid.
Court records show
Southwestern Bell had to take Watkins to court before
he paid his $14,000 bill for Yellow Page ads.
Even the City
of Dallas has sued Watkins over his loan from the South Dallas Fair Park
Trust Fund.
... He allegedly defaulted on payment
and when the city sued Watkins paid.
"All of them have been paid," Watkins
said. "All of those issues have been resolved."
... Edward Okpa said that is news to him. Watkins
hired him to appraise an office building in South Dallas.
Okpa said he turned over the
appraisal and then Watkins stopped payment on the
$4,500 check. Watkins said he's trying to work it out, but has not
paid.
... In 2002, Watkins was delinquent on his state
business taxes that added up to $4,956. In 2004, he was delinquent on
federal business taxes and penalties that totaled
$16,207.
... "Well, as a businessman we all have
disagreements," Watkins said. "But if you look at those lawsuits, they have
all been resolved. So, I ask that you focus on what's important in this
campaign and not focus on any issues that are in the past."
... "Whoever is the district attorney is going to
be the steward of the people's funds and is going to be the person
responsible for legal action in this county," said Larry Jarrett, a
Democratic district attorney candidate.
... That could include his personal income tax. In
December and January, the IRS filed liens for three
years worth of delinquent income taxes to the amount of $99,000,
... "The key thing is, if a person can't handle
his personal finances do you want to trust them with public money?" said Cal
Jillson, a News 8 political analyst
... Watkins said he recently paid his income taxes
but provided nothing to support that.
"I would ask that the voters to stay
focused on what's important," he said. "Don't get
sidetracked by any negative press. Go to the polls in force and vote for me."
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"Negative press"? This
guy is mental. The above information is not "negative press". It's
documented court records. He doesn't pay his bills, he doesn't pay his
taxes, he didn't make payments on his South Dallas Fair Park Trust Fund.
How's he going to prosecute other deadbeats?
Don't forget Craig Watkins is a big supporter of convicted wife beater, Ron
Price. How's he going to prosecute spousal abuse when one of his best
buddies was convicted of just that and yet serves on the School Board?
Dallas Morning News reporter, Robert Tharp, continues his reporting (see
previous story,
Candidates for DA questioned)
on Watkins and follows up Heinbaugh's story with this very worrisome piece:
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DA hopeful
plagued by liens, lawsuits;
Dallas County: Democrat says unpaid taxes, bills irrelevant to race
Wednesday, February 22, 2006 by
ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News |
Democrat Craig Watkins describes
himself as a successful businessman, the "entrepreneur candidate" for Dallas
County district attorney who built a successful law practice and a bail bond
company while still in his 20s.
But an examination of court records
and other documents by WFAA-TV and The Dallas Morning News shows that
Mr. Watkins recently faced almost $100,000 in liens
for failing to pay taxes, and small-business owners and the city of
Dallas have repeatedly had to take him to court before he agreed to pay
bills.
"I've paid my taxes; the matter is
resolved," Mr. Watkins said this week after being asked about the liens.
He declined to talk in detail about
the tax disputes, as well as several other disputes
regarding late taxes or loan payments and two cases in which small-business
owners said he did not pay them for services.
Mr. Watkins said his financial
matters are not relevant to his campaign.
... Thelma Davis, a longtime Democratic Party
precinct chairwoman and Watkins supporter, said she did not believe past
financial problems would keep Mr. Watkins from being an effective district
attorney.
... Southern Methodist University political
scientist Cal Jillson said the financial matters will probably concern
voters.
"The DA's office is a large
bureaucracy," Dr. Jillson said. "A guy who can't run
his own business well enough to have his taxes sent in is being asked to run
a major bureaucracy, and I think people at the very least should be
skeptical."
One of Mr. Watkins' opponents in the
March 7 Democratic primary, Larry Jarrett, said Mr. Watkins' fiscal style is
important because the district attorney handles a $29 million budget. His
tax problems would also make him an easy target in the November general
election against a well-funded Republican candidate, he said.
... Democratic opponent B.D. Howard agreed: "...
If you want to prosecute crime in Dallas County, people are
going to expect you to pay your taxes and pay your bills."
... In January, the Internal
Revenue Service placed a lien on Mr. Watkins' home in a dispute over $25,343
in unpaid income taxes. A similar lien was filed in December for $73,787 in
income taxes owed for 2002 and 2003.
... E. Edward Okpa, a real estate appraiser and
2003 mayoral candidate, said he's still waiting for a $4,500 payment from
Mr. Watkins after Mr. Okpa appraised a piece of property for him in 2004.
Mr. Okpa said he filed a lawsuit after Mr. Watkins stopped payment on a
check for the service and did not respond to his request to return appraisal
documents.
Mr. Okpa said the dispute has cost
him more in legal fees than the $4,500 in dispute, but it has become a
matter of principle.
... Mr. Watkins said he is working to resolve the
matter but declined to explain.
In 2002, city attorneys placed a lien
on Mr. Watkins' property and filed a lawsuit against him after they said
he defaulted on a $20,000 loan from the nonprofit
South Dallas/Fair Park Trust Fund.
... At a public debate this week, Mr. Watkins was
asked to explain why in campaign literature and at other public appearances
he had said he worked as an assistant district
attorney at the Tarrant County district attorney's office when in fact he
was only an intern.
... Dr. Jillson said that Mr. Watkins is likely to
encounter a credibility problem with voters and that those who are
supporting him based solely on his 2002 performance may be rethinking their
decision. ... if he prevails in the March
primary, Mr. Watkins' debts and tax problems will certainly be points of
attack, Dr. Jillson said. ... |
I'm supporting Toby Shook for
District Attorney in the Republican Primary, so I should be pulling for
Democrats to select Craig Watkins as their nominee. Dr. Jillson is correct
that Watkins would make an easy target. Unfortunately, there is a certain
element of voters who do vote for deadbeats who don't pay their taxes or bills
or loans. We cannot take a chance that Watkins could be elected District
Attorney. The DMN Editorial Board was right to endorse Larry
Jarrett over Watkins -- even before all this "negative press" came out about
Watkins.
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It's not "negative
press", it's factual reporting on a lawyer's career who wants to be
District Attorney. We should have as much problem with Watkins
operating a bails bond business, as his financially irresponsibility.
Putting a man who makes a living as bailing out criminals in charge of
the District Attorney's office is absolutely letting a fox guard your
hen house. |
sb
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