Did former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman politically time her resignation from the bench to avoid hearing a THIRD and pivotal public information transparency lawsuit?
Rampant speculation surrounded Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman's June 7, 2021 decision to resign from the bench. With no resignation reason provided to Texas Governor Greg Abbott both the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Tribune at the time opined she might run for a different office in 2022.
From the Houston Chronicle:
Republican Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman has announced her resignation from the bench without stating a reason, fueling speculation she may have her sights set on running for a different office in 2022
From the Texas Tribune:
In her letter to Abbott, Guzman did not state a reason for her resignation, fueling speculation that she may have aspirations to run for another office during the 2022 election cycle.
And one week later the Texas Tribune reported Eva Guzman filed paperwork to run for Texas Attorney General.
To be perfectly clear there's nothing nefarious about the decision of an elected official to resign from one office and subsequently announce running for another. County Examiner is not surprised and in fact supports an individuals right to decide when they retire from their job.
However, this article attempts to shed sunlight on another and politically unspoken reason for Justice Guzmans resignation. That reason is to escape being on the bench, avoid being on the Texas Supreme Court as a third and crucial open records transparency case roars towards the states' top court.
That Texas Public Information Act case is No. 21-0542 styled Zachor Legal Institute v Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.
Seeking public records about potential influence by the Qatar government’s funding of certain Texas A&M University programs at its campus in Education City, Al Rayyan, Qatar; Judicial Watch announced the following:
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed petition for review with the Supreme Court of Texas regarding a lawsuit on behalf of its client Zachor Legal Institute under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), seeking records about potential influence by the Qatar government’s funding of certain Texas A&M University programs at its campus in Education City, Al Rayyan, Qatar (Zachor Legal Institute, v. Qatar Foundation For Education, Science And Community Development (No. 21-0542)
Zachor Legal Institute is a U.S.-based advocacy group dedicated to combatting the spread of anti-Semitism. Zachor made two requests under the Texas Public Information Act for information about the funding or donations made to Texas A&M by the government of Qatar and agencies and subdivisions of the government of Qatar. Qatar controversially has aligned itself with Islamic terrorists and extremists, which has placed it at odds with the United States, Israel and other U.S. allies in the Middle East.
As a Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman thwarted transparency advocates and slammed the door on Texans and media, effectively banning them from "following the money" and publishing stories associated with potential corruption and influence peddling.
In a follow-up article County Examiner will publish and analyze two key open records transparency lawsuit decisions rendered by the Texas Supreme Court and Justice Guzman that should give voters pause before they EVER vote for her ever again.
