Joe Driver
| Joe Driver | |
|---|---|
| Texas State Representative from District 113 | |
| In office 1993–2013 | |
| Succeeded by | Cindy Burkett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 29, 1946 Rockwall, Texas, USA |
| Political party | Republican |
Joe Driver (born September 29, 1946 in Rockwall, Texas) is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Texas. From 1993 to 2013, he represented the 113th district in the Texas House of Representatives, a seat that he initially won in the 1992 elections. He currently serves on the Appropriations Committee and the Committee on Public Safety. In the Texas legislature, Driver was a noted conservative who sponsored bills to allow concealed carry on college campuses[1] and generally favored lowering taxes over government expenditures.[2]
On August 16, 2010, Driver admitted to billing the Texas House for certain expenses for which he had already been reimbursed by his own campaign fund.[3][4] On December 19, 2011 Driver pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony of abuse in his official capacity as a state lawmaker as a consequence of the double-billing. He was fined $5,000 and given five years' probation. The maximum penalty for the crime is ten years in prison plus a $10,000 fine. Driver's plea bargain allowed him to keep his voting rights in the legislature, avoid being a convicted felon, and to collect his state retirement of $57,000 a year when he retired as a legislator in 2013.[5][6]
Since leaving the legislature, Driver has been selling insurance for State Farm in Garland, Texas.
References
- ↑ Dave Montgomery (March 17, 2011). "House committee OKs bill to allow handguns at colleges". Austin Star-Telegram. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
- ↑ "State Representative Joe Driver Reports to District 113". Retrieved December 19, 2011.
- ↑ State Rep. Joe Driver of Garland double-billed for travel (Associated Press)
- ↑ Garland State Rep. Joe Driver pocketed $17,000 by billing campaign, taxpayers for the same expenses (Dallas Morning News)
- ↑ Judge approves probation, fine for state Rep. Joe Driver (Austin American-Statesman)
- ↑ Texas Rep. Joe Driver to Get Five Years Probation
External links
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