For more than two years, Joe Straus has fought against UT Regent Wallace Hall and his efforts to shed light on an admissions scandal at the University of Texas at Austin. The scandal ultimately led to UT President Bill Powers’ resignation.
Straus has repeatedly stonewalled Hall as he has investigated abuse of the admissions system at UT by politicians and donors to the university. In an interview, Straus told reporters that “he didn’t care” if Wallace Hall were “hanged from a tree.”
Straus’ hand-picked select committee attempted to impeach Hall. When the committee failed, Straus worked hand-in-hand with the Democrat Travis County District Attorney’s Office in an effort to indict Hall. (A grand jury found no evidence of wrong-doing.)
We now know why. As reported by Dallas Morning News, Joe Straus is one of a group of politicians, including former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and State Sens. Kevin Eltife and Carlos Uresti, who succeeded in getting under-qualified students into UT by exerting influence over the admissions system.
Straus Facts is a project of Empower Texans, shining a light on the record of House Speaker Joe Straus.
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