The State Auditor has issued a report saying that the Texas Emerging Technology Fund needs more transparency. I know, I’m as shocked as you are.
The report recommended that the state’s 17-member advisory board — volunteers from the technology community who advise Perry and legislative leaders on the grant applications — should be more transparent about its dealings.
The committee should meet in public, record votes and keep minutes of its meetings, the report recommended. The committee members also should be required to file annual financial statements and be prohibited from investing with or being paid by grant recipients, it said.
The technology fund’s investments in startups have attracted controversy.
The report was ordered after months of news stories detailed a secretive grant process that could have benefited Perry allies.
And Perry has had to bolster the ethics policy for his staff and the advisory committee to discourage improper business dealings.
The report is here. See here and read the rest of the story for some background. Of course, no one paid much attention to the various media reports of questionable behavior by the ETF before, so I doubt anyone will pay much attention to this one now, least of all Rick Perry. But at least it’s on the record. Burka has more.