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October 15, 2014      4:41 PM

Updated: Campaign finance watchdog files suit to force Abbott to act in Nathan Hecht Ethics case

Case has languished for nearly 6 years; group says Abbott “has a duty to prosecute this cold case and collect from Justice Hecht"

Note: Late in the day, the AG’s office responded and this update reflects that – SB

A prominent campaign finance watchdog group on Wednesday said a lawsuit is being filed in Travis County to try to force Attorney General Greg Abbott's office to go after what some have called a “long-slumbering case" about an ethics fine against Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht. The case, by the way, has the dubious distinction of being the longest running appeal of a state ethics fine.

Hecht, as QR readers may recall, was fined $29,000 by the Texas Ethics Commission back in 2008 after the agency found that he broke campaign finance laws.

That ruling was made after Hecht took a $168,000 discount for a legal bill incurred while he was successfully fighting abuse-of-power charges stemming from his support for former US Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, who also happened to be his girlfriend.

Hecht appealed in State District Court in 2009 and the case has gone quiet ever since. When someone is fined by the Ethics Commission, they have the option of filing what’s called a “de novo” appeal in court, which starts the process anew.

In a statement on Wednesday, Texans for Public Justice said the group was filing suit to try to force the Office of the Attorney General to defend the Ethics Commission in court, as is required by Texas law.