AUSTIN, Texas — Texas House officials are criticizing one of their own members for billing both his campaign and taxpayers for the same travel expenses. They say the reimbursements might prompt an internal investigation, criminal probe or both.
Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, acknowledged to The Associated Press on Monday that for years he has been pocketing thousands of dollars in taxpayer money for expenses that his campaign had already funded. He is vowing to rectify any "inadvertent" billing mistakes he has made.
Fellow Republican Rep. Chuck Hopson, chairman of the House General Investigating & Ethics Committee, said he has called the Travis County district attorney to see if a criminal investigation is under way while he considers whether to launch his own internal investigation of conduct that he says "doesn't make the rest of legislators look good."