Senators From Texas Ditch Their Endorsements of Roy Moore

Our daily roundup of Texas headlines.

By Alexandra HartNovember 14, 2017 11:47 am

Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have dropped their endorsements of Roy Moore, after another sexual misconduct allegation arose against the Senate candidate from Alabama. So far, five women have said that Moore pursued sexual relations with them when they were teens – and Moore was in his 30s.

Speaking to reporters in Washington yesterday, Cornyn said the allegations were quote “very disturbing.” Cruz has also pulled his support, saying of the allegations: “if true, not only make him unfit to serve in the Senate, but merit criminal prosecution.”

Support for Moore has been slipping in the wake of the allegations, with a survey released on Sunday showing Democratic challenger Doug Jones taking the lead in the race for the first time. The Alabama special election is scheduled for December 12.

 

Harris County Gets Funding To Fight Human Trafficking

Yesterday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced the award of 4.4 million dollars in grants from the governors office to fight human trafficking. Houston Public Media’s Brien Straw has more:

City, county, and state officials will use one-million to go after sex traffickers, and over three million to assist victims of violent crimes. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is putting those in the sex trafficking business on notice.

“To all the offenders and predators out there, we’re going to continue to increase our resources, continue to build our collective efforts. And in Harris County we’re going to send a strong message, if you haven’t been caught yet, you will be caught. It’s just a matter of time.”

Houston leads the nation in calls to the national trafficking assistance hotline, but Andrea Sparks with the Governor’s office is hoping the grant money will change the narrative.

“Let’s make it the number one city in trauma informed response to its victims.”

The number of staff to assist victims will almost double thanks to the four grants, but according to DA Kim Ogg, equally important is a shift to treating the women involved, as victims.

“From putting prostitutes in jail over and over and over, to now focusing on the marketplace and their buyers, and more importantly their human traffickers, it’s not revolutionary but it really is a new era.”

Ogg believes the investment will help save lives.

 

Dallas Drops DA Assistant For Feuding With Uber Driver

A Dallas County assistant district attorney is out of a job after fighting with an Uber driver. The Dallas Morning News reports that Jody Warner was fired Monday after allegations that she berated and attacked her driver on the way home from a bar.

In expletive-laden audio recorded by driver Shaun Platt, the woman can be heard mocking and threatening him.

“’No ma’am please.’ Everything is being recorded. I’m an assistant district attorney, so shut the **** up.”

Platt also says Warner hit him when he made a wrong turn.

Warner worked for the DA’s office for 6 years.