Former Texas Congressman Steve Stockman faces allegations that he stole some $1.25 million in charitable donations, but he apparently cannot afford a defense lawyer.
The onetime Texas Republican lawmaker told U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson that he had only $17 in his bank account during a Wednesday appearance in federal court, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Stockman, who blamed a “deep state” conspiracy for his arrest and maintains his innocence, is currently being represented by blue-chip law firm Smyser Kaplan & Veselka. According to the Chronicle, he told Johnson he needed to dismiss his trio of hand-picked attorneys and requested that the court re-appoint them to his case at the government’s expense.
Johnson said she would consider it and appointed a court lawyer for him for the time being, according to the Chronicle.
Stockman, who was arrested while attempting to travel to the United Arab Emirates to “help Sunni Muslims,” reportedly told Johnson he cannot work although he was free on bond because his job requires overseas travel. Johnson said Stockman needed to contribute $100 per month to pay legal fees, and that the sum would increase once he found alternate employment, according to the Chronicle.
Legal troubles have plagued Stockman since his March 16 arrest. Asked to obtain counsel by 2 p.m. local time the following day, he said, “I’ll have to hustle with that,” local news station KPRC reported.
“Yeah, you will,” the judge replied, according to KPRC. “These are serious charges.”
Stockman and one of his former congressional aides, Jason Posey, are accused of using hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for charitable organizations to fund Stockman’s congressional campaigns and their own personal expenses. They were hit with a 28-count indictment including federal charges of mail and wire fraud, lying to the Federal Election Commission and money laundering.
Stockman is expected to plead not guilty on all counts in court on Friday.
Given the hatred that Republicans have for lawyers and the way they’re always insisting on tort reform, I guess Stockman will have to either find a compassionate Democratic lawyer or defend himself.
Given their rhetoric, I’m pretty sure there aren’t any Republican lawyers.
I think being a teaparty member of Congress, it should be proven or disproven to the court as to whether he voted for draconian budgets and advocated for things like cutting out legal aid and/or drug testing for various benefits such as food stamps etc. He should then have to live with the types of arrangements he voted on for “the other,” If he never advocated cutting legad aid funding, he can get legal aid/public defender. But if there is a record of his advocating and/or voting for mandatory drug testing, then he should be subjected to mandatory drug testing in order to qualify for that public legal assistance.
I know it doesn’t work that way - but these TeaPartiers really need some serious lessons on how important these programs are when one is in dire need - as he claims to be.
From an artilce posted much earlier today, ( hufPo) Conservative Megadonor Wrote $450,000 Check To Spread Indicted Congressman’s Fake News Across Texas, Prosecutors Say
Hmm…I suppose it’s hard to set up a successful GoFundMe account when the alleged crime is stealing charitable donations. Funny how the support tends to dry up.
Lock him up.