Chuck Rosenthal (district Attorney) - Controversies

Controversies

In a federal court case, emails in the Harris County District Attorney's office were under subpoena. Some of those emails exposed his extramarital affair with his secretary as well as being found to be using government computers for campaigning and receiving and sending racist emails. After an emergency meeting with local GOP leaders, the GOP asked him to step aside and to not seek reelection. On January 4, 2008, he announced that he would not seek reelection, but would finish out his current term.

Quanell X called for his resignation and organized a rally that took place outside the county courthouse January 24, 2008.

Other controversies involving Chuck Rosenthal included:

• Multiple Houston-area community groups called for Rosenthal's resignation, as well as the resignation of Harris County sheriff Tommy Thomas for similarly racist e-mails. Community groups are sensitive to racism because Rosenthal "presides over an office that sends more convicts to death row than any other prosecutor's office in the nation."
• The Texas attorney general's office investigated whether e-mails discovered in the DA's county computer were evidence of criminal activity, such as Rosenthal's alleged use of public assets to engage in his now-withdrawn political re-election campaign.
• 32 indictments were thrown out due to a paperwork snafu under Rosenthal's watch.
• Approved a former lover's $11,000 raise
• On 28-March-2008, Rosenthal was found in contempt of court for destroying 2,500 e-mails subpoenaed in a federal court case.
• Harris County taxpayers paid US$400 per hour for attorney fees to represent Rosenthal in his contempt hearing. Although the contract was capped at US$50,000, taxpayers were expected to pay the full bill.
• Refusal to sign an agreement between Venezuela and the United States to allow the extradition of Jesus Salazar, who is wanted for the October 1999 murder of 17-year-old Felicia Ruiz, in exchange for Salazar agreeing to a 30-year prison sentence instead of a life-term.