At Least She Didn't Beat Them

Speaking of Hot Tub Tom, there is news from Washington today about his heir-apparent that I know he would be proud of:

By ALAN BERNSTEIN
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

After most of Shelley Sekula Gibbs' Washington staff quit during her seven weeks as a congresswoman, she alleged they had erased the computer research she requested on immigration, Medicare and other issues.

"As public servants, they have harmed the 22nd Congressional District and they have brought shame to this office," the Houston dermatologist said in December 2006.

But House officials now say their investigation of her charge found no wrongdoing by the six aides.

"Our computer security analysts did look into then-Rep. Sekula Gibbs' concerns around the integrity of computers in the office she briefly occupied and found no traces of purposeful erasure of data," Jeff Ventura, spokesman for the Office of the House Chief Administrative Officer, told the Houston Chronicle. "It was determined that any lost data may have been inadvertent or the result of standard methodology employed when any member of Congress transitions to another."

In response to that written statement, Sekula Gibbs, who is running for the seat again in the Republican primary, said this week that with the help of House technology experts, she was able to recover most of the material she had accused the staff of deleting on purpose.

She had no further comment about the House findings.

The aides, who had worked for Republican Tom DeLay before joining Sekula Gibbs' staff, walked off the job five days after she took office.

"Never has any member of Congress treated us with as much disrespect and unprofessionalism as we witnessed during those five days," ex-staffer David James said then. He is now an aide to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.


I really am awfully glad that Countess Sekula is running again. It should make for endless fun and politcal hijinks. She is sort of a poor man's Katherine Harris without the fabulous rack. I can't wait.