Top political aide to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller arrested in alleged scheme to take

[TexasTowelie]

Top political aide to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller arrested in alleged scheme to take money in exchange for hemp licenses

by Patrick Svitek, Texas Tribune


The top political consultant to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was arrested Thursday on allegations that he participated in a scheme to solicit money and campaign contributions for state hemp licenses issued by Miller’s Texas Department of Agriculture.

The consultant, Todd Smith, ultimately took $55,000 as part of the scheme, an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by The Texas Tribune says. Smith and others involved in the scheme are alleged in the warrant to have solicited a total of $150,000 to guarantee a license, including a $25,000 upfront cost for a survey that they said was required to get a license in Texas. Some of the money would also go toward funding unnamed political campaigns, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit alleges that Smith committed third-degree felony theft.

“Todd Smith created by words and his conduct, a false impression of fact that affected the judgment of others in the transactions to obtain a hemp license and/or conduct a survey that was never attempted by Todd Smith," the affidavit says.

Smith's arrest was part of an ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers' Public Integrity Unit, which is responsible for looking into claims of public corruption.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/07/sid-miller-todd-smith/

[Paladin]

1. Nothing involving Sid Miller surprises me anymore. (nt)