Former district clerk employees file lawsuits

The feud between Tarrant County District Clerk Tom Wilder and former employee and political opponent Pete Hinojosa has now gone federal.

Hinojosa and Bobby Don Cook, a former manager of accounting in Wilder's office, each filed federal lawsuits this week against the district clerk, accusing Wilder of political payback and violating their civil rights when he eliminated their jobs.

The suits seek the reinstatement of Hinojosa and Cook to their jobs, as well as back and future pay for them, and punitive damages.

The background: Hinojosa(pictured left) ran against Wilder(pictured right) for the District Clerk post in 2006, and Cook, a colleague, supported Hinojosa. After Wilder defeated Hinojosa in the March 2006 Republican primary, Wilder submitted a budget that eliminated their jobs.

Wilder has always insisted the cuts were for cost-cutting purposes and planned well before the election.

Hinojosa says some key details regarding the layoffs have yet to be made public. “We’ll litigate it in court and there will be some interesting things that will come out,” Hinojosa said. “The public will really get to see the real Tom Wilder.”

In response to the suits, Wilder said, "Just because lawsuits are filed with allegations therein doesn’t mean that they’re true. We’ll be filing an answer in due course and we’ll take it from there.”

Click here to check out Hinojosa's suit and here for Cook's suit.

For the full story that ran in Thursday's paper, click here.

-Bryon Okada and Aman Batheja

Comments

[Tarrant County Tax Payer]

What's the big news here ? The filing of this Federal Law Suit was a "given" and no surprise to most within the County. Commissioner Roy Brooks even brought up his concern when Mr. Wilder submitted his " personnel cuts' to Commissioners Court. Eliminating the person who ran against you is a bone headed move. Even the Tarrant County Civil Service Commission ruled that Hijonosa was eliminated as political retaliation and ordered back pay and benefits to Hijonosa. One only has to go back to our fine Sheriff David Williams ( by the way....Tom Wilder was his Campaign Manager ) who only " re assigned " the Deputy who ran against him, and one of his supporters, and SEE HOW MUCH THAT COST THE COUNTY ! And Wilder didn't just re assign.......he ELEMINATED the positions and called it " cost cutting " ?
REALLY NOW - How much is this going cost the tax payers of Tarrant County. Smooooooth move Mr. Wilder ! !

[toocloseforcomfort]

Wilder didn't save costs, just shifted them. Somebody might ask how much extra work the county's central accounting office is doing, and what they're not doing as result, because of Tom made his own budget look better.

[AFormerEmployee]

Mr. Wilder can be a very vendictive person. I'm so glad that I no longer work for him.