EXCLUSIVE: New, Misleading Commercials Hide Caldwell Co Commissioner Ed Theriot's Astounding Conflicts of Interest
An ad now circulating on TV laughably tells voters they should re-elect Theriot because he “drives hard bargains with developers” to make them “pay for the cost of growth”...
Meanwhile, Theriot has been at the center of a stunning conflict of interest for the vast majority of his time as Commissioner: from 2018 until recently, he worked as a Senior Project Manager for Doucet & Associates, Caldwell County’s main engineering contractor.
According to public information requests, Doucet made millions of dollars from Caldwell County during the period in which Theriot worked at both places at the same time.
All of this creates more questions than answers.
For instance, how can Theriot be ‘tough’ if he has recused himself from dozens of votes because of his conflict of interest?
How can someone with this massive conflict of interest be Caldwell County’s sole representative to CAMPO, the regional transportation planning authority for Central Texas?
According to a LinkedIn post from last year, Doucet publicly referred to Theriot in the possessive form while referencing his work at Caldwell County. Did they own him from 2018 until just recently? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/doucet-engineers_regional-mobility-summit-activity-7051615746392539136-OWBU?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
According to LinkedIn, Theriot left Doucet at the beginning of the year, and then voted to pay his former employer on March 26 & June 26. How is this not still a major conflict of interest?
Theriot left Doucet shortly after Margarito "Mickey" Zapata announced a serious challenge to his seat on the court with a campaign message of “No Conflicts of Interest”.
Did Theriot leave Doucet because he knew the jig was up?
Finally, Theriot’s 10/7/24 campaign finance report details thousands of dollars coming in from developer PACs like HNTB, Quidd
EXCLUSIVE: New Footage from the Night Malachi Williams was Shot to Death Shows San Marcos Police Officer Pull Weapon from Holster, Prompting Young Man to Flee
A crucial detail that Chief Standridge somehow omitted from his carefully sculpted press briefing: that his officer, Alcides Ventura, in fact escalated a tense scene by drawing a weapon, causing Malachi to run...
This past weekend, the family of Malachi Williams held a press conference as they honored his life on the 6-month mark since his killing by SMPD.
After distributing dozens of meals for unhoused residents – a cause for which Malachi cared deeply – his family revealed the never-before-seen convenience-store footage of Officer Ventura pulling a weapon on their loved one, demonstrating that Malachi ran out of a rightful fear for his life.
The Examiner has added a red box to this security footage to make Ventura's drawing of his weapon more visible.
Update on our lawsuit again Caldwell County for their policy banning public access to magistration proceedings!
Tomorrow our joint lawsuit against Caldwell County for their policy banning the public from attending magistration proceedings, of which we are co-plaintiffs with the Texas Tribune and Mano Amiga, will be heard in the 5th Circuit of Appeals, located in New Orleans!
Watch to learn more about the lawsuit & the importance of allowing community and press access to magistration proceedings, where bail is set.
We are sending all our good wishes to our remarkable counsel, Camilla Hsu of the Deason Center, and Scott Wilkens of the Knight Institute, who will make their arguments before the 5th Court Appeals tomorrow.
Did you see this very weird Hot Mic moment at the Hays Co Commissioner's meeting last month?
After a proposal by newly elected & fairly progressive misdemeanor-court judges Jimmy Alan Hall & Elaine Brown – to adequately compensate their court reporters – got voted down 3-2, Hays Co Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe's ripped into Commissioner Walt Smith for not joining Commissioners Michelle Cohen & Lon Shell to defeat it.
It appears Gonzales Ingalsbe expected Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra to be the lone vote in support of the County Court at Law Judges' request, which will be revisited in tomorrow's meeting...
See for yourself around 2:19:00 at https://hayscountytx.new.swagit.com/videos/280366
Dia de Muertos Celebration: Flores y Ofrendas; Commemorating our Dead
County Judge pardons bank robber Doc McCoy
Tonight’s invocation is not without precedent!
Satanic panic returns to San Marcos this evening at City Council…
Infrarrealista Review, the vivacious lit mag, is hosting a Poetry Night tomorrow at The Coffee Bar at 6pm, featuring SG Huerta!
Delivering a “Get Out of Jail Free” card to the office of Comal County Magistrate Andrew Leonie today
50 Years & A Wake Up in Texas, a seminar on mass incarceration with Mano Amiga, the Sentencing Project & Vera Institute of Justice
EXCLUSIVE: On Two-Year Anniversary of Brutal Attack, Never-Before-Seen Cell-Phone Video of Taser Violence by San Marcos Police Department's Ryan Hartman
On Jan 12, 2021, resident Al Leyva was painfully shot with an electroshock device by the disgraced sergeant immediately after Hartman bellowed out "Come to me now!," depriving Leyva – who was unarmed & had no criminal record – any opportunity to respond whatsoever...
An SMPD Internal Affairs report later found Leyva was indeed compliant with police commands, with his hands in the air (very smartly filming the interaction).
Police Chief Stan Standridge called the violence “unnecessary & unreasonable” and issued Hartman a week-long suspension; however, Chief also alerted Hartman that he could simply forfeit vacation time in lieu of an actual suspension, which is exactly what occurred.
After all, Hartman had just returned from over five months of paid leave upon killing Jennifer Miller in a crash whereby the sergeant had an unfinished large Dos XX in his cupholder and confessed to police on the scene, "I caused the death of somebody by me not paying attention."
The recently signed San Marcos police contract is in jeopardy due to residents' rising demand that City officials enact 5 specific measures of transparency & discipline within SMPD: what advocates dub The Hartman Reforms.
The 5th proposed Hartman Reform seeks to end officers' ability to forfeit vacation time in lieu of actual suspension for wrongdoing. (Find all the Hartman Reforms here: https://haysfreepress.com/2022/06/22/local-group-works-to-reform-smpd-contract/ )
Due to a successful ballot initiative by Mano Amiga Safety, the San Marcos City Council will decide on Jan 17 whether to repeal the recent police contract, or to allow voters to decide on repealing it in a special May election.
Leyva is presently suing the City and the officers who tased him.
