Hecht Says Rove Asked Him To Talk To Media About Miers
In proceedings today in which Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht is challenging a public reprimand from the Texas Judicial Conduct Commission concerning numerous media interviews he gave about former Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, the justice said Karl Rove asked him to talk to the media about Miers and her faith:
Rove wanted someone who knew about Miers’ faith, and Hecht and Miers had attended an evangelical Christian church in Dallas for years, so Hecht said he agreed to answer reporters’ questions.
Click to learn more…“It wasn’t, ‘Can you go out and use your position to support this person?’” Hecht said during the tribunal called because he is appealing his admonition by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct over his comments on Miers.
In May, the Texas Judicial Conduct Commission admonished Hecht, calling his endorsement of Miers’ nomination improper. Hecht told the White House staff to directall media inquiries about Miers career to him, and gave about 120 newspaper, radio and television interviews.
Under Commission rules, judges are not allowed to lend their office’s prestige to boost the private interests of themselves or others, or to use their names to endorse candidates for office.
Hecht doesn’t think his actions qualify and that the rules violate his right to free speech:
Later Tuesday, after playing a videotape in which Hecht was interviewed on C-SPAN, Greenwald asked Hecht if he thought he sounded like Miers’ spokesman. Hecht denied that, saying he was simply listing her qualifications because Supreme Court nominees don’t give media interviews.
Hecht also said he talked to reporters to give information about Miers, not to endorse her. He said he was called upon because he had known Miers for 30 years, not because he was a judge.
“I didn’t think it had much value in New York and it had zero value in Washington and California, and people in Texas had already made up their mind,” he said.
The tribunal has already denied motions by the commission to block or limit testimony from Hecht’s witnesses, which could include U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., whose testimony has been videotaped, and former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips.
Miers, still serving as White House counsel, is on the witness list for the commission. Its executive director, Seana Willing, said Monday that she did not know if Miers would appear.
The commission does not have the authority to subpoena witnesses outside the state. Willing declined to say if the commission asked Miers to appear at the proceedings.
Written by Vince Leibowitz
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