Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Blasts Mayoral Race Opponent Over Leaked Audio Of Her Berating Staffer
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee recently made headlines in her mayoral campaign for all the wrong reasons. An audio recording recently surfaced that purports to capture Jackson Lee giving an expletive-laced tongue-lashing to a staffer for his incompetence.
KTRK counted 17 curse words in the minute-and-a-half audio posted to a conservative site that supports Jackson Lee’s top rival for mayor of Houston, state Sen. John Whitmire, prompting the congresswoman to blame Whitmire for the leak.
The audio, which KTRK had not independently authenticated, captured a conversation about five years ago. It begins with a voice that sounds like Jackson Lee’s scolding a staffer who didn’t have the information she requested. That person told her that someone named Jerome had it.
“When I call Jerome, he's going to be sitting up there like a fat [expletive], stupid idiot talking about what the [expletive] he doesn't know. Both of y'all are [expletive] ups,” the person who sounds like Jackson Lee says in the recording.
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According to the Houston Chronicle, the Texas blog Current Revolt, a conservative site, posted the audio. The alleged conversation between Jackson Lee and her staffer involved paperwork about Black Heritage Society founder Ovide Ducantell.
“This is a low-handed political tactic meant to discredit a thriving mayoral campaign and distract voters ahead of the early voting period. It’s unsurprising that these attacks have originated from extremely conservative blogs and political operatives backing John Whitmire,” Jackson Lee’s campaign said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle, according to Chron.
Whitmire denied the accusation.
“To try to accuse our campaign of leaking it is just an attempt to take away attention from what is on the recording,” Whitmire’s campaign told KTRK.
A University of Houston poll released in early October shows Jackson Lee and Whitmire maintaining an overwhelming lead in a crowded field of candidates. Jackson Lee trailed Whitmire, also a Democrat, 31 percent to 34 percent among voters who intend to cast a ballot in November. If the survey is accurate, Whitmire and Jackson Lee will face each other in a December runoff election.
