Fort Bend County Judge KP George was found guilty on two counts of third-degree felony money laundering on March 20, following a jury trial in the 458th District Court. The verdict was unanimous and came after more than four hours of deliberation.
George was placed in handcuffs and escorted from the courtroom by Fort Bend County deputies shortly after the verdict was announced. A judge set his bond at $20,000, split at $10,000 per charge, and he was also required to surrender his U.S. passport.
Each count carries a potential sentence of two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, pending the completion of a presentence investigation report. Fort Bend County Second Assistant District Attorney Wesley Wittig noted that probation remains an option alongside prison time.
Prosecutors argued George transferred a total of $46,500 from his campaign account into personal accounts, then misrepresented those transactions on official campaign finance reports. According to the state, the funds were used for personal expenses, including property taxes and a down payment on a home, with the alleged conduct dating back to between January and April of 2019.
During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Katherine Peterson argued George made repeated false entries across multiple campaign finance reports and used the funds for his own benefit over several years. Prosecutors also pointed to financial activity tied to out-of-state accounts and argued George opened a personal savings account following a 2019 fundraiser.
The defense maintained throughout the trial that the transfers were lawful repayments of personal loans George had made to his own campaign, a practice permitted under Texas Ethics Commission rules. Defense attorneys argued the state failed to prove criminal intent and that investigators relied on an incomplete set of financial records. Attorney Jared Woodfill said after the verdict that he believed there was reasonable doubt, but acknowledged the unpredictability of jury decisions.
Under Texas law, a felony conviction can result in removal from office, but Wittig clarified that removal language would not take effect until sentencing is finalized. If George appeals, prosecutors indicated they would seek a court order suspending him from office during that process. In the meantime, George is permitted to continue serving as county judge after posting bond.
Fort Bend County commissioners are scheduled to meet on Thursday, March 26, to discuss the county’s path forward. Wittig said the question of appointing an interim judge, if it comes to that, would likely fall to the Commissioners Court.
George has been embroiled in legal trouble for well over a year. He was first indicted last spring on the two money laundering charges, each a third-degree felony, stemming from alleged conduct during his first campaign.
A separate misdemeanor charge tied to alleged misrepresentation of identity in connection with the November 2022 election remains pending and is currently scheduled for May. That case stems from a social media hoax in which George’s then-chief of staff, Taral Patel, created fake accounts impersonating elected officials and posted racist comments targeting George, apparently to generate public sympathy. Patel pleaded guilty to related charges and received deferred adjudication.
In August 2025, court filings revealed prosecutors’ specific allegations: that George reported a campaign balance of $399 when the actual balance was $37,128.94, and subsequently transferred $30,000 to his personal account, followed by another $16,500 weeks later.
In June 2025, George switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican while under felony indictment, drawing skepticism from figures on both sides of the aisle. He went on to receive just 8.43 percent of the vote in the March 2026 Republican primary, finishing last in a five-candidate field.
George’s current term runs through the end of the year. Republican Daniel Wong, who won the primary outright, is set to face the winner of the May 26 Democrat runoff between Commissioner McCoy and Rachelle Carter.
