#TXLEGE: Team Geren seeks to DELAY ACCOUNTABILITY for false CPS report

"Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
That they may follow intoxicating drink;
Who continue until night, till wine inflames them!"
Isaiah 5:11

[Note: Empower Texans has more here.]

From the Inbox:

Democrat Activist and Former Geren Staffer Tries to Delay Deposition

(Fort Worth, TX) On Friday, David Sorenson, the Democrat activist and former paid staffer for Representative Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) who is accused of filing a knowingly false CPS complaint against the French family sought to delay his court-ordered pre-election deposition, which is currently scheduled for next Friday, February 23.

Sorensen’s last-ditch attempt to delay his deposition until after the election began with changing legal counsel. Late Friday afternoon, Steve Maxwell entered the case as lead counsel for Sorensen. Maxwell is a former Democrat Party Chairman in Tarrant County.

Sorensen’s new legal team immediately filed an Anti-SLAPP Motion to Dismiss. This Anti-SLAPP Motion to Dismiss automatically stays discovery—which would include staying Sorensen’s court-ordered pre-election deposition scheduled for this upcoming Friday. Sorensen’s responses to the French family’s written discovery—which would have revealed Sorensen’s role in making the false CPS report on the eve of the 2016 election—were also due yesterday, but were not provided due to the 11th hour stay triggered by the Anti-SLAPP Motion. Notably, a word-for-word identical Anti-SLAPP Motion was filed by Sorensen last fall, and then denied by a Tarrant County District Court.

French commented on this desperate legal maneuver stating, “Charlie Geren's political machine is pulling out all the stops to keep the truth from coming out. We were set to depose Mr. Sorenson next Friday, but they can't let that happen. Today they filed a motion, claiming that our suit violates their client’s First Amendment right to file the false report with CPS. They are seriously claiming that the First Amendment creates a right to file false reports with law enforcement to hurt a political opponent. I find that absurd.”

Chris Kratovil, counsel to Bo French also commented stating, “I have been practicing law in Texas for 17 years, and this is the hardest I have ever seen any witness in any case resist being deposed. It certainly begs the question why this defendant is fighting so desperately hard to postpone answering questions under oath.”

Charlie Geren claimed to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that not only did he not know about the CPS complaint, he was also unaware that multiple staffers were in a legal battle going back to last June 2017. Geren has attempted to convince his community that the entire Fort Worth legal community knew that his staff was in a legal battle but he was completely unaware until he received a phone call from the press six months later.

This last-minute legal maneuver will likely delay the deposition of Mr. Sorenson until after the March 6th primary election.