The yearlong fight between Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement came to an official close this week after commissioners voted on Wednesday to suspend his peace officer license for six months, finding that he left out key information on his licensing applications.
The penalty, which was probated and backdated to 2024, will not remove Fullen from office or affect his day-to-day authority.
TCOLE commissioners approved the agreement on Wednesday with a 6-0 vote. The discussion lasted only a few minutes before the board moved on. Fullen did not speak during the meeting but later released a brief statement saying he had fully cooperated with investigators and that the settlement would have no impact on his ability to serve as sheriff.
The case began when a retired sheriff’s sergeant filed a complaint accusing Fullen of skipping required training and of failing to disclose past arrests, disciplinary problems, and lawsuits on his license applications. That complaint led TCOLE to review Fullen’s history and ultimately conclude that he had omitted multiple incidents, including several assault arrests from the 1980s, a firing from the Electra Police Department in 1989, and his 2007 lawsuit claiming he was the target of reverse discrimination after being terminated from the Galveston ISD Police Department. Records also show he faced allegations of document tampering and retaliation during his time with the school district.
These issues had surfaced repeatedly during Fullen’s 2024 campaign, although he told supporters he had never hidden his past arrests. His opponent raised the omissions during the Republican primary, but Fullen won comfortably in the GOP heavy county. Last June, TCOLE Executive Director Gregory Stevens recommended that Fullen’s license be revoked, but the board took no action prior to the election.
After taking office, Fullen shifted his approach. In March he sued TCOLE in an attempt to stop disciplinary proceedings entirely, arguing that the agency lacked authority over an elected sheriff. His lawsuit claimed the commission’s pursuit of a lengthy suspension amounted to political retaliation, pointing to a section of state law that prevents TCOLE from revoking the license of a constitutionally elected officer. His attorney, Tony Buzbee, argued that a proposed 10 year suspension would function as an unlawful removal from office, something only voters have the power to do.
Instead of going to trial, the lawsuit was sent to mediation, and by October both sides indicated an agreement had been reached. Wednesday’s vote finalized that outcome. The board probated the six month suspension, effectively giving Fullen a formal sanction without restricting his current service.
At the meeting yesterday, a representative for the commission stated, “[Fullen] submitted personal history statements to the Galveston County Constable’s Office Precinct 2 and the Texas City Police Department that were alleged to have admitted or failed to fully disclose information related to experience and employment history, financial history, arrest history and civil court history.”
One commissioner, Galveston County Precinct 4 Constable Justin West, abstained from the vote. West and Fullen have long been political allies, and West later criticized what he described as the ability of complainants to weaponize the state licensing process during elections.
In 2023, the Legislature passed a requirement mandating that every sheriff in Texas hold an active peace officer license. Lawmakers said the change was intended to make sure anyone seeking the office had real law enforcement experience and training, but the statute does not spell out what should happen if a sheriff’s license is later suspended or revoked. With the matter officially closed, Fullen remains in office with full authority.
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