Mattress Mack takes release of ‘public election’ records fight to State Capitol

Houston icon "Mattress Mack" McIngvale delivered strong words about the deeply flawed midterm elections. Those words were aimed at Harris County Attorney Christian Menafee’s ongoing refusal to turn over public election records involving machine malfunctions, ballot shortages, and tabulation delay.

HOUSTON - Delivering the strongest possible words, Houston icon Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale took his battle for the release of public election records to the State Capitol in Austin.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Texas, I'm asking you to fight with us, for us, for the soul of Harris County," said McIngvale.

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McIngvale's testimony six months after the deeply flawed Midterm election was aimed at Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee's ongoing refusal to turn over public election records involving machine malfunction, ballot shortages, and delays in the tabulation.

"I am asking you to shine a light on the public records of Harris County, so citizens will know the truth," said McIngvale.

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McInvgvale was speaking in support of SB 1579, Senator Paul Bettencourt's legislation proposing strict new sanctions against government officials suppressing the release of public records.

"This has to stop. Public information is public information," said Bettencourt, a Houston Republican. "It should not be held up because government doesn't want to give it back to the public, who owns the information in the first place."

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Former Republican Congressional candidate Mark Ramsey also spoke in support of Bettencourt's reform measure.

"They have stonewalled things over and over, obviously expecting people like myself to simply give up asking," said Ramsey of his own pursuit of Harris County election records.

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The call for transparency in Harris County government is drawing non-partisan support from prominent progressives and independents alike.

"Hey, just let the records show what they may and then let us decide what is going on in the voting records and if there is voter suppression," said Chau Nguyen, a progressive panelist on FOX 26's Sunday Political talk show, What's Your Point?

"I don't see what they are hiding. If they feel there was no voter suppression, release the information," said Dr. Sergio Lira, President of LULAC-Houston and a regular WYP contributor.

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"This is painfully obvious to everybody," said Bill King, a self-identified Independent, and longtime WYP panelist. "They are hiding something. I mean there were screw-ups in this election, and they don't want it out in the public to be talked about."

Speaking at a press conference outside the Capital, Mattress Mack issued a final message.

"I think these elected officials need to know that they work for the taxpayers," he concluded. "The taxpayers don't work for them."

"We are not making this a partisan thing," said Wayne Dolcefino, a longtime public integrity investigator who is also suing Harris County for access to the election records. "We are making this a truth thing."

Meanwhile, Harris Co. Attorney Menefee has argued he doesn't have to release the records because of ongoing lawsuits challenging the election results.

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McIngvale and Dolcefino contend, however, this so-called "litigation exception" should never override the public's right to know what went wrong in the election, who was responsible, and what is being done to insure it does not happen again.