With lawsuit is Wentworth singing familiar tune?
Texas Insider Report: SAN ANTONIO Texas - Friday marked the passing of another business day and
another volley fired in the heated Republican primary between Elizabeth Ames Jones and incumbent Texas Senator Jeff Wentworth. Wentworth (R-San Antonio) filed suit Thursday claiming a negative attack ad put up by Jones campaign defamed him.
Jones (R-San Antonio) responded Friday filing a counter-claim that says Wentworth is a repeat abuser of the civil justice system."
With lawsuit Wentworth sings familiar tune
By Gilbert Garcia
Ten years ago
State Sen. Jeff Wentworth filed a defamation suit against his Republican primary opponent John Shields 11 days before election day. The lawsuit was a response to a Shields ad depicting Wentworth as an unscrupulous lawyer who had accepted money from a discredited HMO.
Wentworth announced he would donate any damages he was awarded to charity and said his purpose was to put a halt to ads that went far beyond customary (political) exaggeration."
Last Thursday morning Wentworth played out the same scene with small differences:
- This suit was filed 12 days before the primary instead of 11;
- This time the primary challenger was former Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones; and
- This time Wentworth had been accused of billing both the state and his campaign for travel expenses.
But otherwise it was a note-for-note simulation down to Wentworths complaint about his opponents ad exceeding the bounds of typical campaign distortions and his promise to donate any damages he may collect.
This years race represents the first time since 2002 that Wentworth has faced a serious primary challenge and hes taking it as seriously as he did then.
Observers of the 2002 race recall that Wentworths lawsuit was crucial to his narrow (51.2 to 48.8)
primary victory over Shields because it threw Shields off his message at the most inopportune time and helped to spur a backlash against the harsh aggressive pro-Shields ads that had run during the campaign.
There is also a risk for Wentworth in this approach.
Most local Republicans think hes well-positioned to win the May 29 primary and his decision to handle a campaign dispute with litigation will surely persuade some voters to believe what the Texans For Lawsuit Reform a powerful Houston PAC that has bankrolled much of Joness campaign have said about him over the last six months: Hes not a true conservative.
We (Republicans) dont like litigants" says Steve Heinrich the treasurer of the Bexar County Republican Party. Heinrich also served as the spokesman for Shields failed 2002 challenge.
Wentworths lawsuit insists that Wentworth has lawfully and properly presented sworn statements to the State Senate for all legitimate expenses and only such expenses. It adds that Jones had actual knowledge of (the radio ads) falsity" because she as a former elected official is very familiar with the expense submission process.
At his Thursday press conference Wentworth called Jones cowardly" for making an attack in the radio ad that she was unwilling to make to his face in nearly 30 candidate forums.
To be sure no one can accuse Wentworth of shying away from face-to-face attacks. He has repeatedly blasted Jones for simultaneously attempting to claim Austin and San Antonio residencies and accused her husband Will Jones of using her position on the Railroad Commission to lobby the state on behalf of oil and gas companies.
Heinrich says the ugly barrage of accusations and counter-accusations has left many local Republicans disgusted with both candidates."
The 3rd GOP candidate in the race
Tea Party favorite Donna Campbell has escaped much of the verbal
warfare between Wentworth & Jones.
Like Jones Shields 2002 campaign received considerable financial help from an ultra-conservative organization determined to bring down Wentworth. In the case of Shields it was the Free Enterprise PAC which distributed flyers showing two men kissing.
It was an attempt to cast Wentworth as an advocate for gay rights although he had authored legislation making same-sex marriage illegal in Texas. The controversial flyers were widely believed to have backfired on the Shields campaign.
Said Jones on Friday while filing the counterclaim response to Wentorths Thursday suit Truth is an absolute defense and my television ads are true.
