Anti-Nuclear Activist Fined for Election Violations
By: Waste Control Specialists
Updated: August 12, 2010
ANDREWS -- Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS) today applauded the Texas Ethics Commission for exposing that an environmental extremist and anti-nuclear energy group from Austin are behind an ongoing smear campaign against WCS and fined them for violating state law in last year’s Andrews County bond election.
“For years now Karen Hadden has misrepresented the facts about the WCS facility and it is gratifying that the Texas Ethics Commission has fined her for willfully violating Texas election law. This action clearly shows the SEED Coalition tried to hide its involvement in a misleading smear campaign against WCS,” said Tom Jones of Andrews, WCS vice president for community relations.
Hadden is executive director of the Austin-based SEED Coalition and testifies regularly at government hearings in Austin and throughout the state. She also is a well-known activist on a variety of liberal causes including co-chairman of Peace Action for Texas, which has actively protested against U.S. troops in Iraq.
Jones filed a complaint against Hadden of Austin and the No Bonds for Billionaires political action committee in July 2009 claiming she and the committee violated Texas election law related to the May 9, 2009, Andrews County bond election.
The ethics commission found 17 violations of campaign election law and fined Hadden and No Bonds for Billionaires $1,000. Hadden signed the order agreeing to the fine and identified herself as president of No Bonds for Billionaires.
“The findings by the ethics commission show the entire campaign against WCS and the bond election was orchestrated and paid for by the SEED Coalition of Austin. No local organization and no local money were involved. Hadden is an anti-nuclear energy extremist who knows the rules governing political campaigns and her actions were a calculated deceit to violate our election laws and to illegally influence a local election,” Jones said.
“It should now be clear to everyone that No Bonds for Billionaires never existed except as a front for Karen Hadden to hide behind. It was funded out of Austin and run by an Austin organization,” he said.
“WCS is ready to move forward with an important economic development project for Andrews County which will bring good-paying jobs and economic diversification to the entire Permian Basin. The goal of Karen Hadden and SEED is to shut down nuclear power in this county by delaying the Andrews County project,” Jones said.
“For years now Karen Hadden has misrepresented the facts about the WCS facility and it is gratifying that the Texas Ethics Commission has fined her for willfully violating Texas election law. This action clearly shows the SEED Coalition tried to hide its involvement in a misleading smear campaign against WCS,” said Tom Jones of Andrews, WCS vice president for community relations.
Hadden is executive director of the Austin-based SEED Coalition and testifies regularly at government hearings in Austin and throughout the state. She also is a well-known activist on a variety of liberal causes including co-chairman of Peace Action for Texas, which has actively protested against U.S. troops in Iraq.
Jones filed a complaint against Hadden of Austin and the No Bonds for Billionaires political action committee in July 2009 claiming she and the committee violated Texas election law related to the May 9, 2009, Andrews County bond election.
The ethics commission found 17 violations of campaign election law and fined Hadden and No Bonds for Billionaires $1,000. Hadden signed the order agreeing to the fine and identified herself as president of No Bonds for Billionaires.
“The findings by the ethics commission show the entire campaign against WCS and the bond election was orchestrated and paid for by the SEED Coalition of Austin. No local organization and no local money were involved. Hadden is an anti-nuclear energy extremist who knows the rules governing political campaigns and her actions were a calculated deceit to violate our election laws and to illegally influence a local election,” Jones said.
“It should now be clear to everyone that No Bonds for Billionaires never existed except as a front for Karen Hadden to hide behind. It was funded out of Austin and run by an Austin organization,” he said.
“WCS is ready to move forward with an important economic development project for Andrews County which will bring good-paying jobs and economic diversification to the entire Permian Basin. The goal of Karen Hadden and SEED is to shut down nuclear power in this county by delaying the Andrews County project,” Jones said.
