Author:
Longinus
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Date Posted: 22:20:26 02/15/06 Wed
In reply to:
SW
's message, "~waliks in~" on 06:32:55 07/27/01 Fri
WHO IS HARRY
HARRY
M. WHITTINGTON (BORN MARCH 3, 1927) IS AN AMERICAN LAWYER, REAL ESTATE INVESTOR,
AND POLITICAL FIGURE FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS. ON FEBRUARY 11, 2006, WHITTINGTON WAS
SHOT BY VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY WHILE QUAIL-HUNTING ON A CORPUS CHRISTI,
TEXAS, RANCH.
BIOGRAPHY
WHITTINGTON
WAS BORN IN HENDERSON, TEXAS ON MARCH 3, 1927. HE RECEIVED HIS LAW DEGREE FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND BEGAN PRACTICING LAW IN AUSTIN IN 1950. THE SAME
YEAR, HE MARRIED MERCEDES BAKER AND THEY NOW HAVE FOUR DAUGHTERS AND SIX
GRANDCHILDREN. IN 2006, A REPORTER FOR THE AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN REFERRED TO
HIM AS "VERY RICH, VERY STUBBORN AND VERY PATIENT." HE HAS ALSO BEEN
ACTIVE IN TEXAS STATE POLITICS.
GOVERNMENT SERVICE
OVER
THE YEARS, HE HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO MANY COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING
THE OFFICE OF PATIENT PROTECTION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (A COMMITTEE FORMED BY THE
GOVERNOR OF TEXAS TO ENSURE PATIENTS' RIGHTS), THE TEXAS PUBLIC FINANCE
AUTHORITY BOARD, AND THE TEXAS BOARD OF CORRECTIONS. HE IS ALSO THE CURRENT
CHAIRMAN OF THE TEXAS FUNERAL SERVICE COMMISSION, A POSITION HE WAS APPOINTED TO
BY THEN-TEXAS GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH. WHITTINGTON IS OUTSPOKEN ABOUT HIS DOUBTS
ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY AS IT IS APPLIED IN TEXAS, ESPECIALLY IN REGARD TO
DEFENDANTS WHO ARE MENTALLY RETARDED.
LAND DISPUTE
WHITTINGTON
IS A MAJOR LAND OWNER IN TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS, WITH PROPERTY AMOUNTING TO AT
LEAST $11 MILLION. BEGINNING IN 2000, WHITTINGTON HAS BEEN FIGHTING A LEGAL CASE
OVER THE EMINENT DOMAIN SEIZURE OF A CITY BLOCK OF HIS PROPERTY IN AUSTIN. THE
CITY WANTS TO USE THE LAND TO BUILD A PARKING GARAGE. ALTHOUGH HE HAS BEEN
SUCCESSFUL SO FAR IN COURT (THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT REFUSED TO CONSIDER THE
CASE, EFFECTIVELY RULING IN HIS FAVOR), THE CITY WENT AHEAD AND BUILT THE GARAGE
ANYWAY. DEPENDING ON THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL, IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT WILL
BECOME OF THE PARKING GARAGE OR IF OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND WOULD REVERT TO
WHITTINGTON.
FUNERALGATE
WHITTINGTON
WAS NAMED PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE FUNERAL SERVICE COMMISSION AFTER A MAJOR
SHAKEUP OF THE AGENCY IN 1999. HIS BOARD RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO PAY $50,000 AS
PART OF THE SETTLEMENT TO END THE TWO YEAR-OLD FUNERALGATE CASE, IN WHICH JEWISH
GRAVES WERE DESECRATED, AND THE CORPSES LEFT IN THE WOODS TO BE EATEN BY WILD
PIGS.
THE
COMPANY INVOLVED IN THE MENORAH GARDENS SCANDAL, SERVICE CORPORATION
INTERNATIONAL, WAS LATER AWARDED A NO-BID CONTRACT TO COUNT AND COLLECT CORPSES
IN LOUISIANA AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA.
HUNTING INCIDENT
ON
FEBRUARY 11, 2006, WHITTINGTON, A BUSH-CHENEY CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTOR, WAS SHOT AND
INJURED BY U.S. VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY DURING A QUAIL HUNTING TRIP, AT A
RANCH IN SOUTH TEXAS OWNED BY KATHARINE ARMSTRONG. ARMSTRONG IS HEAVILY INVOLVED
IN LOBBYING, MOSTLY WITH REPUBLICANS. MOST OF THE DAMAGE FROM THE SHOTGUN BLAST
WAS TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS BODY, INCLUDING DAMAGE TO HIS FACE, CHEST, AND
NECK. HE WAS TAKEN TO CORPUS CHRISTI MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE AND IS
EXPECTED TO RECOVER.
ARMSTRONG
STATED THAT WHITTINGTON WAS SHOT WHEN CHENEY WAS SHOOTING AT A COVEY OF BIRDS.
SHE ALSO SAYS THAT WHITTINGTON DID NOT ALERT CHENEY TO HIS LOCATION AND WAS
SIMPLY CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. THE KENEDY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS CLEARED
CHENEY OF ANY CRIMINAL WRONGDOING IN THE MATTER .
ON
FEBRUARY 14, HOSPITAL OFFICIALS REVEALED THAT SOME OF THE LEAD BIRDSHOT LODGED
IN WHITTINGTON'S HEART CAUSED A MINOR HEART ATTACK .
DOCTORS
DON'T PLAN TO REMOVE ALL THE PELLETS FROM WHITTINGTON'S BODY. THEY ARE NOT
CERTAIN HOW MANY PELLETS ARE LODGED IN WHITTINGTON'S BODY, BUT ESTIMATED THERE
ARE "LESS THAN 150 OR 200."
CONTROVERSY
SURROUNDING SHOOTING
WHILE
THE SHOOTING OCCURRED AT 5:30 P.M. LOCAL TIME (23:30 UTC) ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY
11, THE NEWS OF IT WASN'T RELEASED FOR 21 HOURS UNTIL 1:48 P.M. (07:48) SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 12. BETH FRANCESCO, A REPORTER FOR THE CORPUS CHRISTI CALLER-TIMES,
BROKE THE STORY AFTER RECEIVING A CALL FROM ARMSTRONG. IN ADDITION, THE LOCAL
SHERIFF DEPUTIES WERE NOT ALLOWED TO INTERVIEW CHENEY FOR 14 HOURS, UNTIL 9
A.M., SUNDAY MORNING (SEE TIMELINE HERE)
ACCORDING
TO A TOP REPUBLICAN WHO IS CLOSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE, "THIS IS EITHER A
COVER-UP STORY OR AN INCOMPETENCE STORY"
TRIVIA
·WHITTINGTON
IS THE SECOND PERSON TO HAVE EVER BEEN SHOT BY A SITTING U.S. VICE
PRESIDENT. THE ONLY OTHER WAS ALEXANDER HAMILTON, WHO WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN
A DUEL WITH VICE PRESIDENT AARON BURR IN 1804. BURR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY
INDICTED, THOUGH NEVER TRIED, FOR MURDER.
Contributor
|
Candidate
or PAC
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Amount
|
Date
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WHITTINGTON,
HARRY M MR.
AUSTIN, TX 78731
SELF-EMPLOYED/ATTORNEY
|
BUSH,
GEORGE W (R)
President
BUSH-CHENEY '04 (PRIMARY) INC
|
$2,000
primary
|
11/06/03
|
WHITTINGTON,
HARRY M
AUSTIN, TX 78703
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
|
CORNYN,
JOHN (R)
Senate - TX
TEXANS FOR SENATOR JOHN CORNYN INC
|
$500
primary
|
01/09/02
|
WHITTINGTON,
HARRY M
AUSTIN, TX 78701
ATTORNEY
|
BUSH,
GEORGE W (R)
President
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC.
|
$1,000
primary
|
03/26/99
|
WHITTINGTON,
HARRY M
AUSTIN, TX 78767
ATTORNEY
|
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS (R)
|
$500
primary
|
10/13/92
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WHITTINGTON,
HARRY M MR
AUSTIN, TX 78701
ATTORNEY
|
GRAMM,
PHIL (R)
Senate - TX
FRIENDS OF PHIL GRAMM '90
|
$500
primary
|
06/01/89
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WHITTINGTON,
HARRY MR
AUSTIN, TX 78767
ATTORNEY
|
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS (R)
|
$1,000
primary
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09/30/88
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WHITTINGTON,
HARRY M
AUSTIN, TX 78767
|
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS (R)
|
$1,000
primary
|
10/01/84
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