#TXLEGE: Arrogant Flynn illegally uses state office to promote campaign

"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate."
Proverbs 8:13

From Bryan Slaton campaign e-mail last week:

Friends, It is with much concern that I share with you that my opponent has been using ourtaxpayer dollars to promote his own re-election campaign. Over the last 7 days, Dan Flynn has released 6 different videos promoting his campaign that appear to have been filmed in his district office, which is paid for by the taxpayers of House District 2. If this is the case, not only is this unethical behavior, but it is also a clear violation of the law. Mr. Flynn would be flaunting Texas law which clearly states that no taxpayer-funded resources may be used for election purposes as outlined in: TEXAS PENAL CODE, TITLE 8; OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION; CHAPTER 39. ABUSE OF OFFICE (link) The taxpayers have a right to know. Has Mr. Flynn betrayed the public trust once again by using taxpayer-funded resources for his own personal benefit? I'm calling upon Mr. Flynn to publicly clarify whether or not he is using his taxpayer-funded district office for his campaign videos. If so, then he must immediately apologize for breaking the law and take down his videos. - Bryan

That's pretty bad; given the way frivolous criminal complaints have been thrown around this cycle, somebody really ought to file one against Flynn (and we might just file a complaint with the Texas "Ethics" Commission).

By beyond Flynn's immediate action, there's also a broader lesson: Arrogance.

It doesn't take a genius to see how using your taxpayer funded office for a political ad would backfire.  It's an obvious no-no.  But Flynn did it.

Over the past several years, as he's gotten closer to Joe Straus, Dan Flynn has grown increasingly arrogant.  It's been obvious since the early days of the Wallace Hall impeachment fiasco, and it's grown more obvious over time.  Now, Flynn reaps what his arrogance has sown.

[Note: Imagine the reaction if Jonathan Stickland had done the same thing.]

Bottom Line:  Dan Flynn is the ultimate case for term limits.  He was a pretty decent legislator in the early years, but this incident symbolizes how far he's fallen.  Eight terms in public office over nearly two decades rots your brain.