Travis County DA Ronnie Earle is looking into a complaint by State Sen. Bob Deuell that Rep. Martin Frost misused corporate funds in 2000.
Travis County prosecutors said Wednesday they are investigating an allegation that U.S. Rep. Martin Frost illegally funneled more than $100,000 in corporate donations to Texas legislative candidates in the 2000 election.Frost, D-Dallas, denied the accusation, saying the criminal complaint against him is a Republican attempt to deflect attention from an ethics investigation of U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has been investigating DeLay, R-Sugar Land, after allegations of similar activity in 2002. Earle expanded his investigation to include Frost after receiving a complaint last month from state Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville.
"The complaint filed by Sen. Deuell clearly was a smokescreen put up by the Republicans to divert attention away from the investigation into Tom DeLay's activities," Frost said.
"I have directed my campaign counsel in Washington to fully cooperate with District Attorney Earle's office and to provide documentation to demonstrate there is absolutely no basis in Sen. Deuell's complaint."
Assistant District Attorney Gregg Cox said Deuell's complaint contained "very similar allegations" to what Earle has been investigating in the DeLay case. Cox said Earle took Deuell's complaint seriously.
"We are definitely looking into it, and we are calling it an investigation at this point," Cox said.