Friends of the Texas Governors Mansion Restoration Fund

TO DONATE TO THE RESTORATION FUND

go to www.texasonline.com

or send a check or money order to:
Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund
P.O. Box 12878
Austin, TX 78711-2878

Information toll free 866-751-5829

Arson of the Texas Governors Mansion Timeline

April 4, 2008

Texas Rangers and representatives from Texas CPS enter the YFZ Ranch polygamist compound in Eldorado, Texas, on suspicion of child abuse and began removing FLDS children from suspected abusers.

April 6, 2008

Texas Gov. Rick Perry defends state's seizure of polygamist sect's kids
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/060608dntexpolygamistsperry.2911ea7.html

By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News rtgarrett@dallasnews.com

Gov. Rick Perry, accepting personal blame if Texas “stepped across some legal line," strongly defended today its sweep of all youngsters from a polygamist sect's ranch. “I still think that the state of Texas has an obligation to young women who are forced into marriage and underage sex – to protect them. That's my bottom line on this," Mr. Perry said during a visit to France.

The governor said he hopes state law enforcement officials and prosecutors “continue to send the message" to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that child sexual abuse won't be tolerated.

Mr. Perry warned sect members that “if you are going to conduct yourself that way, we are going to prosecute you. If you don't want to be prosecuted for those activities, then maybe Texas is not the place you need to consider calling home." …

April 8, 2008

In the wee hours of the morning, an unidentified young white male sent a Molotov cocktail into the home of the Texas people, the Texas Governors Mansion. http://www.keyetv.com/media/news/5/2/6/5268e38f-6fd1-4621-b3c3-25555d7d43b2/Story.jpg

Texas governor's mansion fire may be case of arson

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/08/texas.gov.mansion/index.html

(CNN) -- An early morning fire that severely damaged the Texas governor's mansion in Austin may have been caused by arson, fire officials said Sunday. Investigators "found evidence that the fire was intentionally set,'" said Texas State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado.

Maldonado did not elaborate on what that evidence was, but said state and federal authorities would be searching for a suspect or suspects. The mansion was empty because it was undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. Firefighters were called out to the blaze at about 1:15 a.m., Austin Fire Department Division Chief Dawn Clopton said. The fire shot through the building and made it too dangerous for firefighters to get to the second floor, Clopton said. The mansion's roof partially collapsed. The house has served as the official residence of Texas governors and their families since 1856, according to the governor's Web site Firefighters kept the historical importance of the building in mind as they fought the blaze, Clopton said.

"We were as careful as we could be with the state of Texas' pride and joy," said Clopton. "We are trying to save as much of the structure as we possibly can."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- who is in Europe at an economic conference -- has been told about the fire, his spokeswoman Krista Piferrer said. "It's a tragedy," she said. "It's a tragedy for the first family that has lived here since 2001. It's a tragedy for Texans and for all the governors that have come before us."