Wednesday, May 24, 2006
"Old Friend" of Harriet Miers Admonished For Public Support During Nomination
A Texas judge,
Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht was admonished for improperly using his position to support close friend Harriet Miers when she was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
The state Commission on Judicial Conduct said Hecht told White House staff to send media inquiries about Miers's career to him and discussed her qualifications in about 120 newspaper, radio and TV interviews.
In some interviews, Hecht, a Republican, said that Miers's nomination would be "good for the country" and that she would make a "good justice."
Texas judicial conduct rules prohibit judges from lending the prestige of their office to boost the private interests of themselves or others. They also prohibit judges from allowing their names to be used to endorse candidates.
Hecht's vocal support raised some eyebrows at the time.
She turned out to be insufficently attractive to Bush's conservative base, and was jettisoned without the benefit of the "up or down vote" so important to the GOP when Democrats find fault with Bush nominees.
