The latest campaign finance reports released show that Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal spent the vast majority of his campaign war chest on his personal legal fees.
The report, which covers July through December 2017, reveals that Doyal raised $70, 519 during that period. However, his campaign had to shell out almost $150,000 in legal fees to Rusty Hardin and Associates to pay for Doyal’s defense in his ongoing trial.
Doyal was indicted in June 2016 under the charge of conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act after he conducted secret discussions on a road bond. Although an activist judge dismissed the indictments on the grounds that TOMA is unconstitutional, the state has appealed the decision. The Ninth Court of Appeals will decide January 24 whether to reinstate the indictment.
After spending most of his donations on his lawyer, Doyal’s finance report shows he currently has $29,363 in cash on hand- one third of what challenger State Rep. Mark Keough has. Keough’s report shows him him sitting on a war chest of $92,678.
The report shows a striking contrast from Doyal’s last election in 2014, when he narrowly defeated then Director of Infrastructure Mark Bosma in runoff to win the open seat. In January 2014, Doyal had $388,285 in the bank, more than ten times what he has four years later.
This marked difference indicates Doyal’s donors are abandoning him after a tumultuous first term as county judge in which he has been mired in several controversies while property taxes have skyrocketed.
Now, after reading the latest finance report and seeing most of their donations have gone into the pocket of a Houston lawyer rather than towards Doyal’s re-election, many of them will likely be even more hesitant to give him their money.
The report, which covers July through December 2017, reveals that Doyal raised $70, 519 during that period. However, his campaign had to shell out almost $150,000 in legal fees to Rusty Hardin and Associates to pay for Doyal’s defense in his ongoing trial.
Doyal was indicted in June 2016 under the charge of conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act after he conducted secret discussions on a road bond. Although an activist judge dismissed the indictments on the grounds that TOMA is unconstitutional, the state has appealed the decision. The Ninth Court of Appeals will decide January 24 whether to reinstate the indictment.
After spending most of his donations on his lawyer, Doyal’s finance report shows he currently has $29,363 in cash on hand- one third of what challenger State Rep. Mark Keough has. Keough’s report shows him him sitting on a war chest of $92,678.
The report shows a striking contrast from Doyal’s last election in 2014, when he narrowly defeated then Director of Infrastructure Mark Bosma in runoff to win the open seat. In January 2014, Doyal had $388,285 in the bank, more than ten times what he has four years later.
This marked difference indicates Doyal’s donors are abandoning him after a tumultuous first term as county judge in which he has been mired in several controversies while property taxes have skyrocketed.
Now, after reading the latest finance report and seeing most of their donations have gone into the pocket of a Houston lawyer rather than towards Doyal’s re-election, many of them will likely be even more hesitant to give him their money.
