Files of former Speaker of Texas House wiped out

When Tom Craddick transitioned from Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives to a rank-and-file member, his computer hard drives and electronic records were wiped from his computers. Some files that Craddick requested were saved, but the rest are gone, which his chief of staff says is standard procedure.

Before the House voted Speaker Tom Craddick out of his powerful job, state officials wiped his computers clean and deleted scores of electronic files, raising concerns that important public records may have been destroyed.

Files on one shared computer network drive were saved, but unless Craddick specifically requested them, computer hard drives and electronic records associated with individual employees were deleted, officials said.

Craddick left the speaker's office on Jan. 13, returning to the state House as a rank-and-file member without a vast staff and without the sweeping power the presiding officer wields.

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