Cracks in Craddick's Calendar?

Editor's note: This text has been revised and corrected since its original publication.

In the spirit of open government in the New Year, House Speaker Tom Craddick could resolve to turn over a new leaf by making his 2007 political calendar available to the public. The chance of that happening is slim, but an open-book policy could save the speaker another legal go-around with Austin attorney Cris Feldman, who last week won a long-awaited ruling concerning Craddick's 2003 calendar.

Feldman sued the speaker after he refused to release his "outside" calendar for the period between January and June of 2003. During that time, the congressional re-districting showdown was playing out in the Legislature between the newly elected Republican majority and the caucus-breaking Democrats. Craddick has sought to keep a lid on his political calendar for those months, and argued in legal filings that records of his activities outside of his official House duties are separately maintained by his campaign staff and should therefore remain private.

“Though disclosure of official calendars is required under the Public Information Act, political calendars are private and are not required to be shared with political opponents,” said Craddick’s press secretary, Alexis DeLee. Lawyers with the Attorney General’s office are representing Craddick in the case.

Travis Co. District Judge Margaret Cooper gave Craddick until Jan. 12 to provide information to the court to determine whether the private calendar contains details about public business that would warrant their release under open records laws. From the plaintiff’s perspective, the calendar could shed more light on Craddick’s role in helping former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay obtain a new congressional redistricting map from the Legislature. The map was a necessary payback, of sorts, for DeLay, who, through his political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, helped secure a GOP majority in the 2002 House races, which in turn elevated Craddick to the speaker's seat.

When the 2003 legislative session opened in January, Craddick's first priority was to shepherd DeLay's redistricting map through the House. After a floor fight, a Democratic walkout, and a special-called session, DeLay ultimately got the map that he wanted, thanks to Craddick. Now, DeLay faces money-laundering charges stemming from his role in the 2002 House races. Craddick avoided a criminal indictment in connection with the DeLay investigation, but last week he ended up on the wrong end of a civil ruling. And Feldman, who has built a record of court victories on the DeLay front over the last couple of years, is just getting wound up.