On its front page today, the Houston Chronicle reports that an attorney in a civil rights suit believes Harris DA Chuck Rosenthal did not prosecute two Sheriffs deputies because he feared an affair with his executive secretary Kerry Stevens would be revealed. "The very next time I see you, I want to kiss you behind your right ear," Rosenthal wrote to Stevens on Aug. 10, 2007. Reported the Chronicle ("Judge seals Harris DA's revealing emails," Dec. 27):
Kelley is a friend and former law partner of C.O. Bradford, the former Houston police chief and Rosenthal nemesis who is running for DA as a Democrat, so the story has the appearance of a political hit. But that doesn't mean it's not a legitimate story. As one of many commenters on the Chronicle website pointed out, "If he were in the private sector, he would at least be severely reprimanded and most likely fired.""It's five years later; why weren't they investigated?" [attorney Lloyd] Kelley asked. "The e-mails establish the reason why Rosenthal did nothing — you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."
When deposing Rosenthal on Nov. 29 for the case, Kelley asked if he was having an affair, a question Rosenthal's attorney wouldn't let him answer.
He also wasn't allowed to answer Kelley's question about whether his friends, Sheriff Thomas and Harris County commissioners Jerry Eversole and Steve Radack, were aware of his relationship with Stevens.
Kelley then asked, "Mr. Rosenthal, is it because you are engaged in activities that you want to keep quiet, is that why you won't rock the boat and investigate the sheriff and his activities?"
"No," Rosenthal responded.
During discovery for the case, Kelley asked for all of the e-mails sent or received by Rosenthal, his first assistant Bert Graham and his general counsel, Scott Durfee from July to Oct. 15.
In court documents protesting the release of the e-mails, attorneys for Rosenthal argue they "relate to private expressions of affection between Rosenthal and Stevens."
While the 51 e-mails between the two contain the phrase "I love you" more than a dozen times, and Rosenthal asks Stevens to let him hold her, the messages are not explicit.
Rosenthal said Wednesday he is not having an affair with Stevens, but that he had an affair with her in the 1980s when he was married to his first wife. He said the affair did not end that marriage, but he did later divorce.
Rosenthal later remarried and said he told his current wife about the affair before hiring Stevens as his executive assistant when he took office in 2000.
Another commenter summed up my own feelings: "Hiring your former paramour as your executive assistant, giving her a County car to drive around town (so the car can receive preventative maintenance!) and using the County's computer system in the manner he did is just plain 'ickey'. ... Chuck Rosenthal really needs to do the honorable thing and resign so that another untainted candidate can run against C.O. Bradford."
UPDATE: See more from the blogosphere here, here, here, here, here, and here. In addition, here's a photo of Rosenthal and Ms. Stevens from the Harris DA's website:
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8 comments:
Its a shame these people are not held accountable for their actions. This lack of ethics is becoming the norm for elected and appointed officials.
She doesn't have a high enough position to be getting a tax payer funded car. Just saying.
Now I understand why Rosenthal had no time to worry about the sex offender who assaulted me being in Harris County and refusing to register.
She doesn't have a high enough position to be getting a tax payer funded car.
I don't know, maybe she was on top.
Ouch! Well, I guess Rosenthal (and Ms. Stevens, and Rosenthal's wife) had better get used to jokes like that over the coming year.
Though in a race that size you'd want to poll it first, if I were managing C.O. Bradford's campaign, I'd stick those quotes in a TV spot before the end of the campaign, no doubt. From my experience as an oppo researcher, voters tend to tolerate infidelity, but not on the taxpayers' time or dime.
Unfortunately, Bradford would be much worse than Rosenthal. Although Rosenthal refuses to properly investigate or indict the Houston crime lab folks, it was under the tenure of Bradford that it got in such bad shape in the first place. Anyone who has their name closely related to Mayor Lee Brown is a joke. Many of his other cronies are under indictment or in jail in Ohio for corruption and kickbacks. Bradford would be no better than Rosenthal, just a different type of bad.
And I can't stand Rosenthal either, so don't take this as support for him.
Sad......
The issue that was being brought before the federal court (same courthouse where Chucky's wife is a sitting federal judge), was that there was an inappropriate relationship among Chucky and the SHERIFF of Harris County, and the County Commissioner Stevie Radack!
Dam shame that the media reports only the sex-related e-mails.
Corruption, incompetence, good-ole-boys back room deals.....
who cares, business as usual. Hoooaaaa!! a REPUBLICAN having an affair! Stop the presses!
Get a life or get real people.
Rage Judicata makes an excellent observation. Rosenthal may have his flaws, but atleast he's an experienced prosecutor. I don't recall reading anything about Bradford having any trial experience or even experience practicing law. Isn't this typical with politicians though. Let's not forget Kennedy & Clinton (to name a few). Every political figure will have their flaws exposed around election time. Ahhh, the joy of democracy.
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