says the guy with about 90% of his posts from work link New e-mails released Tuesday show District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal sent and received racist jokes and strategized with political consultants and colleagues about his re-election campaign on his county e-mail account. Also within the correspondence obtained Tuesday by the Houston Chronicle were numerous sexually explicit images. It was unclear, however, if Rosenthal ever forwarded those files. The latest batch of 730 e-mails was met with concern by Harris County GOP leaders, who had already successfully pressured him to abandon his re-election bid. "It's time for Chuck Rosenthal to pack his bags and leave," said county GOP Chairman Jared Woodfill. Rosenthal declined to comment late Tuesday. Among e-mails that concerned Woodfill were video clips of nudity and sex acts and a racist joke forwarded by Rosenthal that compares former President Bill Clinton to a black man. The e-mail says Clinton played the saxophone, smoked mar1juana and gets a check from the government each month. Also included within the e-mails is heavy traffic between Rosenthal and Sam Siegler, Rosenthal's physician and the husband of Kelly Siegler, who is running for district attorney. In one e-mail from Sam Siegler to Rosenthal, an attached video shows women having their breasts exposed after men forcibly pulled down their blouses in public. The video called the act "sharking." Kelly Siegler dismissed her husband's e-mails. "He cusses like a sailor and his sense of humor is crude, to put it mildly," she said. "It's his computer and what he does at work is his business. He's the boss." She declined to comment on whether Rosenthal should resign but said the revelations wouldn't affect her campaign. "I would hope the voters are more concerned about qualifications of their DA than some inappropriate e-mails." Siegler threw her hat into the ring after Rosenthal withdrew Jan. 2 from the Republican primary ballot. Previous assurance Before his withdrawal, the top prosecutor had assured party leaders that no politically embarrassing material would be disclosed other than his intimate e-mails to his executive secretary, said Woodfill and County Judge Ed Emmett. Both, however, said they had strong doubts about that assertion. Emmett said Tuesday he wanted to withhold judgment about the e-mails until he saw them. He said allegations of racism or explicit images on the county e-mail system were more damaging than possible campaigning at the office. Emmett's opponent in the GOP primary said Rosenthal should resign. "I am asking the people of Harris County to join me in requesting Chuck Rosenthal's resignation effective immediately," said Charles Bacarisse. "(He) has lost both the public trust and the moral authority required to serve effectively as district attorney of Harris County." As district clerk, Bacarisse headed the staff that processed paperwork in felony courts. The 860 e-mails are part of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Harris County Sheriff's Office for a 2001 incident lodged by plaintiff's attorney Lloyd Kelley. Rosenthal said 130 were privileged and should not be produced. Those e-mails, filled with affectionate love notes from Rosenthal to executive secretary Kerry Stevens, were mistakenly released by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt. The release prompted Rosenthal to withdraw from his re-election campaign under pressure from GOP officials. The remaining 730 e-mails were released after Hoyt said Monday they were not subject to a protective order. Several officials reached Tuesday speculated that the e-mails could be connected to evidence in criminal cases being prosecuted by Rosenthal. "I want to become more informed on exactly what the e-mails are," said Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack. "Then make an educated judgment." "I think he probably needs to resign," said County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat. "We need to hold our public officials to the same standard we hold our employees." The commissioners fund the operations of the district attorney's office. Political messages E-mails about a barbecue fundraiser for Rosenthal's planned re-election campaign also were sent to his employees, the documents reveal. It is widely considered illegal in Texas for public officials to campaign during work hours using government-owned equipment. Such instances in the past have led to charges of official misconduct, or theft by a public official. "I'd like to kick off the 2008 re-election campaign with a barbecue in early October," Rosenthal wrote to his staff in one e-mail in August, as he announced a planning session for the event. "I appreciate your help, and I am looking forward to seeing you there." Another e-mail announced Gail Hays, a captain investigator with the district attorney's office, would be at the credit union parking garage with barbecue tickets. It was unclear who sent that message. Hays did not appear at the garage because of bad weather, a follow-up e-mail states. Consulting on campaign Dated through the middle of last year into the fall, the e-mails also contain campaigning strategies, including several references to the Democratic opponent, former Houston police Chief C.O. Bradford. An investigator e-mailed Rosenthal in September to notify him of a Bradford fundraiser. In another e-mail Rosenthal writes of Bradford, "My Democratic opponent only managed to set HPD back 100 years." Others contained data that could be considered opposition research for political purposes. Rosenthal, for example, asked his political consultant, Allen Blakemore, about Bradford in a July e-mail: "I have heard for years that Brad was not a regular officer for very long and that he climbed through the ranks in dispatch. Do you think I need an open records request to get his assignment?" The e-mails contained exchanges between Rosenthal and employees with the consulting firm that was handling his re-election campaign, including one with a list of Republican precinct chairs, important grass-roots officials. A follow-up e-mail had a draft copy of a proposed e-mail from Rosenthal's county account to those precinct chairs, inviting them to his barbecue fund-raiser. "You do not need a ticket, simply go to the front of the line and let them know your name and that you are on my 'Friend of Chuck' List," it reads.
Wow. I'm not sure it was journalistically necessary to TELL the racist joke. A "just in case you were wondering..." paragraph. Sheesh.
on the television news that actually had a picture from his email that was much worse than that joke. there is strict enforcement of email policy for government workers apparently. my friend is a supervisor at the post office and he can't update his fantasy football team or anything like that on his computer.
Up to now in Harris County, all you had to do was say you were a Republican and you got voted in. Who needs qualifications if you can vote the party line? This is just the tip of the iceberg.
How hard is it to get another email account? I've got 4 separate email accounts and two of them are for work that I don't use except for that.
I believe people who suffer from inherent douchebaginess of character are naturally (and irrevocably) compelled to pursue postions of power like this.
With the wide availability of wi-fi then just check your personal email at the coffee shop down the street during lunch or on a break. I occassional contract to other firms and will work out of there offices. I just will check my personal and my own businesses email on my own laptop on wi-fi rather than use the computer of the office I'm subcontracting too.
...And "slept with white women." Someone who sat next to me at work sent that joke to our entire department three years ago and I had to reprimand him for it: basically respond with a broadcast message saying I didn't want to receive those types of emails in the future. He later asked me if I was offended by the "political" aspect of the joke.
