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Texas Donor Under Investigation
By APRIL CASTRO
Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- There was a time when it paid to be friends with Mauricio Celis, who rustled up clients for Texas' swaggering trial lawyers and contributed generously to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton.
But now, Celis' friends are running for cover.
The luxury-loving Corpus Christi businessman is under investigation on suspicion of impersonating a lawyer and a sheriff's deputy.
Celis, 36, has a controlling interest in the CGT Law Group of Corpus Christi, a firm that not only has lawyers on staff but provides a variety of auxiliary services: Need a plane to get to a city to sign documents in your lawsuit? Celis will get you one. Need a translator? No problem. Celis is bilingual.
Lawyers who have worked with Celis say he is also well known for flying to disasters around the world and soliciting clients for either CGT lawyers or other plaintiffs' attorneys.
But the Republican state attorney general is suing Celis, claiming he has practiced law without a license. Texas law prohibits anyone from owning a controlling interest in a law firm unless he is a licensed lawyer. Celis also is accused of identifying himself as an attorney in encounters with police.
In addition, Celis is under investigation by a grand jury led by a Democratic prosecutor over allegations he posed as a law officer during a peculiar run-in with Corpus Christi police.
In that case, police reported that a naked woman ran from Celis' home to a convenience store, claiming she had been in a hot tub and groped against her will. Celis quickly followed her into the store, wearing a bathrobe. He flashed a sheriff's deputy badge from a nearby county and told police at the store that he would take custody of the woman, police said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DONOR_SCANDAL?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
By APRIL CASTRO
Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- There was a time when it paid to be friends with Mauricio Celis, who rustled up clients for Texas' swaggering trial lawyers and contributed generously to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton.
But now, Celis' friends are running for cover.
The luxury-loving Corpus Christi businessman is under investigation on suspicion of impersonating a lawyer and a sheriff's deputy.
Celis, 36, has a controlling interest in the CGT Law Group of Corpus Christi, a firm that not only has lawyers on staff but provides a variety of auxiliary services: Need a plane to get to a city to sign documents in your lawsuit? Celis will get you one. Need a translator? No problem. Celis is bilingual.
Lawyers who have worked with Celis say he is also well known for flying to disasters around the world and soliciting clients for either CGT lawyers or other plaintiffs' attorneys.
But the Republican state attorney general is suing Celis, claiming he has practiced law without a license. Texas law prohibits anyone from owning a controlling interest in a law firm unless he is a licensed lawyer. Celis also is accused of identifying himself as an attorney in encounters with police.
In addition, Celis is under investigation by a grand jury led by a Democratic prosecutor over allegations he posed as a law officer during a peculiar run-in with Corpus Christi police.
In that case, police reported that a naked woman ran from Celis' home to a convenience store, claiming she had been in a hot tub and groped against her will. Celis quickly followed her into the store, wearing a bathrobe. He flashed a sheriff's deputy badge from a nearby county and told police at the store that he would take custody of the woman, police said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DONOR_SCANDAL?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US