Galveston County Sheriff-elect Jimmy Fullen’s decisive electoral victory is already mired in controversy, as allegations of falsified documents and a looming license revocation hearing coincide with an unprecedented mass exodus of veteran officers ahead of his incoming administration.
In November, Republican Fullen won his election with 61.82 percent of the vote, a decisive victory against his Democrat opponent, Mark Salinas.
However, earlier this year, Fullen’s qualifications for sheriff came under scrutiny when the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) officially recommended the revocation of his peace officer license, allegedly due to the falsification of government documents.
The commission’s letter stated: “[Fullen] omitted, failed to disclose, or provided false or untruthful information related to job experience, having been disciplined at work, having been fired or asked to resign from a place of employment, having been accused of discrimination, having been the subject of a written complaint at work, having failed to make or been late on a court-ordered payment, having been part of a civil lawsuit, and failing to disclose two arrests.”
Fullen responded to the allegations in June of this year, five months before the election, stating, “I have filed an answer with TCOLE and intend to contest the allegations. My peace officer’s license is unaffected by the mere filing of these allegations.”
According to outgoing Republican Sheriff Henry Trochesset, who chose not to run for re-election, he’d never seen a mass exodus like the one occurring with the incoming administration in his 41 years of service. The reasons for the departures seem divided between those who have been asked not to return and those unwilling to work with the new administration. The number of officers retiring currently stands at 21, collectively representing 724 years of law enforcement experience.
Meanwhile, although Fullen has stated that the mental health division of the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office will remain fully intact, the GCSO mental health coordinator, Brenda Castro Hughes, has expressed concern for the division’s future. After nearly 17 years of service, she was informed at the end of November that she would lose her job under the new administration starting in January.
Fullen is scheduled to be sworn in as sheriff in January, just days before the originally planned hearing regarding his license revocation.
If found guilty and his license is revoked, he would likely be ineligible to continue as sheriff, requiring the Galveston County Commissioners Court to appoint a replacement.
