Does David Dewhurst Look Stupid Today? Yeah.

Last week, when asked whether or not he disclosed all that was required of him about his personal finances under state laws, David Dewhurst dodged and weaved. Then, when asked if he would release his tax returns, he replied:

“We’re not going there. Do I look stupid today?” Dewhurst said during an hourlong exchange at the Capitol last week. “In Texas, we have a long tradition of not talking about the number of cattle you own or your net worth.”

So, does David Dewhurst look stupid? This morning he does, following a nice roasting by the Austin American-Statesman thanks to Dewhurst’s murky personal financial disclosure:

He is said to be the richest man in Texas politics. But voters might have a hard time figuring that out from the information that Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has disclosed to the state ethics commission.

Nowhere does it say that the former CIA agent is a major shareholder in a Houston energy and investment company through a privately held trust. Nor is there a word about the hedge funds, stocks, bonds or publicly traded fuel distribution company that he acknowledges are or have been part of a trust fund that is estimated to be worth as much as $200 million.

It just says the David Dewhurst Trust is valued at “$25,000 or more.”

[...]

Fred Lewis, who has lobbied the Legislature for stricter disclosure laws, said he does not think Dewhurst has complied with state ethics law.

“In my interpretation of the law, you only have two choices: You either disclose your assets if it’s in a regular trust, or you have a blind trust,” Lewis said. “As best I can determine, he’s done neither.”

I’m sure Dewhurst isn’t the only elected official who has some murky personal financial disclosure filings. I have a feeling some others may come out before the election.

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