By Mark Lisheron
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas A local Democratic Party embarrassment in San Antonio may end up costing Bexar County taxpayers more than $200000. A grand jury indicted Dwayne Eugene Adams the former treasurer for the Bexar County Democratic Party alleging he stole & misused roughly $202000 of the partys money between Nov. 2008 and June 2009.
Adams also spearheaded a Barack Obama victory ball fundraiser that lost money according to the indictment.
What makes the story interesting for those outside of the Democratic Party is the embezzled money was supposed to have gone to Bexar County to help pay for the cost of the primary election in 2008.
In July the Bexar County Commissioners Court sued the Democratic Party for $277913 the party owed the county the San Antonio Express-News has reported.
While the prospects of recovering all of the money are bleak the story said officials are hoping the suit will prompt the Secretary of States office to release to the county $83000 in primary funds that would have been returned to the Democratic Party in Bexar County.
Rather than paying for the toting up of primary votes Adams is alleged to have made hundreds of purchases for himself including clothes and gas.
Should Adams 55 be convicted on both second-degree felony counts of theft between $100000 and $200000 and misapplication by a fiduciary of between $100000 and $200000 he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Given the kind of election year it is 1st Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg was quick to insist the indictment and its timing were not politically motivated.
Bexar County Democratic Party officials called for the investigation which began after a meeting with prosecutors in December of 2009 Herberg said.
Contact Mark Lisheron at 512-299-2318 or mark@texaswatchdog.org.
