July 9 Press Release
Green Party of Texas Responds To Texas Democratic Party Request For Dismissal
Today attorneys for the Green Party of Texas (GPTX) entered a response to a motion filed yesterday before the Texas Supreme Court by the Texas Democratic Party (TDP). In the motion, TDP concedes that the injunction ordered by a Travis County District Court, which was intended to keep Green Party candidates off the ballot in the 2010 General Election ballot, is now moot.
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Our response observes that the suit filed by the TDP refers extensively to sections of the election code that are relevant only to candidate campaigns and are not germane to party operating expenses. It further notes that "they cite no statute, court opinion, administrative rule, legislative history, or ethics opinion that states that a minor political party in Texas may not use corporate contributions to defray its ballot access costs."
We are requesting that the Supreme Court direct the District Court to vacate its temporary injunction and prevent the TDP from seeking endless depositions from us and injunctions against our participation in the electoral process.
The net result of such a ruling would be to remove the Green Party of Texas and our candidates from the ongoing fishing expedition by the TDP for mud to sling at Rick Perry. In light of the fact that we have never in any way supported Gov. Perry's campaign for re-election, we feel that this would begin to provide appropriate remedy to the TDP SLAPP(1) suit.
"I've been disappointed to watch the Democratic Party leadership use the courts as a political and media arena. The Green Party is clearly within the limits of the law, and yet we and our supporters are being persecuted by an ongoing witchhunt. Our top priority now is to move forward with the 2010 campaign, and we hope that the Supreme Court will rule in a way that allows us to do so without further harassment," stated Christine Morshedi, co-chair of Green Party of Texas.
We continue to object to the current scheme of corporate sponsorship of elections, which results in Texas Democrat and Republican Parties accepting millions of dollars from for-profit corporations each election cycle, as evidenced by the corporate sponsorship banners that routinely adorn the walls of their state conventions. We call, without reservation, for an end to corporate participation in elections in the United States, and, indeed, for the termination of the misguided notion of corporate personhood(2).
Our candidates are looking forward to the opportunity to debate these and other issues of vital interest to all Texans with candidates from the three other ballot-qualified political parties during the upcoming campaign season.
(1) SLAPP - Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. Ironically, SLAPP suits were pioneered by polluting corporations to prevent grassroots environmental groups from public participation.
(2) MoveToAmend.org
kat swift
Statewide Coordinator
Green Party of Texas
