Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
King admits taking 2004 Super Bowl tickets from lobbyist
State Rep. Phil King acknowledged last week that he accepted two free tickets to the 2004 Super Bowl in Houston from a utility industry lobbyist. The Weatherford Republican, chairman of the House Committee on Regulated Industries, watched the game from a luxury suite of CenterPoint Energy, a Houston energy company. King told the Star-Telegram in 2005 that CenterPoint did not pay for his ticket and that he did not discuss legislative business during the game.
However, a Texas Ethics Commission report filed in 2004 by CenterPoint Vice President Scott E. Rozzell shows that Rozzell spent $876.30 on King and his son during the game. Rozzell, whose company routinely has business before King’s House committee, said “that sounds right” when asked whether part of the expenditures was for Super Bowl tickets.
Asked about the Ethics Commission report, King acknowledged that he had not paid for the tickets.
“I did pay for all my travel and my hotel,” King said. “We had an offer for a free ticket, and we took it.”
Critics see a pattern.
King has long been criticized by public watchdog groups as being too close to the companies he oversees. Last week, for instance, he was feted at a campaign fundraiser at Rozzell’s $1.2 million Houston home.
The invitations solicited political donations of between $250 and $5,000 for King.
Both King and Rozzell defended the fundraiser, but Andrew Wheat, an analyst for the campaign finance watchdog group Texans for Public Justice, said the Super Bowl tickets and the fundraiser are part of a larger pattern.
“When you look at the pattern of relationships between Representative King and the industry his committee regulates, it’s fair to ask who’s regulating whom,” Wheat said.
Story by Star-Telegram staff writers R.A. Dyer, 512-476-4294, rdyer@star-telegram.com and Aman Batheja
Much of the money that state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, has used to finance his re-election effort has come from the industries he oversees. For instance, more than 30 percent of the $81,405 in contributions he lists on his most recent campaign finance report came from political action committees representing the energy and telecommunications industries.
The report, which covers Jan. 1-Jan. 24, also shows that King’s biggest contribution of $10,000 came from Houston home builder Bob Perry, a key GOP donor. The report showed he had $314,003 cash on hand.
Former Weatherford Mayor Joe Tison, King’s opponent in the March 4 Republican primary, has reported raising $49,748 during the same period and having $33,072 cash on hand. His largest donation came from Texas Parent PAC, an Austin-based group that describes itself as “pro-public education” but is best known for its opposition to private school vouchers.
The group donated $12,794 to Tison in the most recent report.
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