Morales saga a story of surprises, `hubris': Career in public eye rarely predictable
Dan Morales could have been a success story. Well, at least until he became a victim of his own arrogance and hubris. If you believe that power corrupts, then Dan Morales would probably be your Exhibit A. The truly sad thing is that it didn't have to be this way.
AUSTIN -- When a federal judge shook his head in disbelief recently and pronounced Dan Morales' actions "beyond stupidity," many Texans nodded in agreement.
How, they wondered, could the man who once was the state's top law enforcement officer and a star in the Texas Democratic Party wind up in the Caldwell County Jail?
While awaiting trial on charges of fraud and conspiracy, Morales risked his freedom to buy two luxury automobiles.
That led to U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks' decision to revoke Morales' bond after hearing evidence that he claimed on loan applications he was making $20,000 a month when days before he had sworn in federal court that he had no income.
Morales offered no explanation to the judge, and his lawyers have had no comment about the allegations.
But those who have worked with him closely say the claims are consistent with a man they describe as having a brazenness and optimism that often flew in the face of reality.
"I think Dan has always been very, very optimistic and very, very positive about any and all situations and predicaments," said Ron Dusek, an Austin media consultant who served as spokesman for Morales when he was attorney general.
That optimism could at times make Morales naive and unrealistic.
"That is what's hurt him in this particular situation," Dusek said. "He couldn't stop. He just couldn't stop because of his tendency in these kinds of situations to see hope or light even when the government and the courts are telling him very clearly that he is in trouble."
According to one source, Morales, 47, didn't think authorities would find out about the loans. And if they did, he didn't think that federal prosecutors, who already had obtained a 12-count indictment against him, would pile on charges.
Morales, if he had chosen properly, could have had an absolutely brilliant and lengthy political career in Texas. Handsome, Harvard-educated, and well-spoken in a state that needs strong Hispanic political leadership, Morales could have been known as perhaps the greatest Hispanic political figure this state has known. Somewhere along the way, though, Dan Morales lost his way.
"The rise and fall of Dan Morales is a story of hubris run wild and opportunism that backfired," said Kelly Fero, who has worked for Morales and other Democratic politicians.
A desire for a high lifestyle -- Morales is accused of converting campaign funds to help buy a lavish house -- does seem out of character for a man who arrived in Austin in 1985 determined to live frugally on the $7,200 he earned as a state representative.
Morales confounded Republicans and Democrats alike during his three terms in the Texas House and two terms as attorney general.
Just when polls showed him to be the most popular public official behind then-Gov. George W. Bush, he shocked the political world by withdrawing into private life. And then when it seemed least likely -- during an intensive federal investigation -- he re-emerged last year to wage a bitter race against Tony Sanchez for the Democratic nomination for governor. After he lost, he endorsed Republican Rick Perry.
Morales was a Hispanic politician who rode his image as a Harvard-educated minority to statewide political success, then used his power to broaden an appellate court ruling on affirmative action to the detriment of minority college applicants in Texas.
His crowning achievement as attorney general was winning $17.3 billion for the state's coffers from cigarette makers. But that victory has been tarnished by accusations that he backdated contracts and forged government documents in an effort to funnel millions of dollars in legal fees from the case to an old friend, Houston lawyer Marc Murr.
"He didn't seem to have any sort of loyalty or guiding principles," said Harry Potter, who worked with Morales at the attorney general's office on the tobacco case and discovered alleged irregularities in the Murr contract.
Morales and Murr, who now lives in Austin, were indicted in March on charges of fraud and conspiracy. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Is Dan Morales a victim of his own arrogance? Perhaps. In the end, though, Morales' fall from grace could serve as a lesson to those who might look at public service as a shortcut to the high life. It can be, if you are willing to work hard and do the things that need to be done. Taking shortcuts and believing your press clippings, though, is a recipe for disaster. Just ask Dan Morales.
