September 12, 2023

Travis County District Attorney’s Office

509 West 11^th Street

Austin, TX 87801

(512) 854-9400

Mr. Jose Garcia – District Attorney

Criminal Violations Texas Ethics Laws

Re: Judge Stephen Craig Smith

5^th District Court of= Appeals

600 Commerce, 7th Fl, Ste. 200

George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building

Dallas, TX 75202

214-712-3400

Dear Mr. Garcia:

Find below a detailed complaint dealing with the criminal violations of the Texas Ethics Laws involving Judge Slaughter. Initially, I set forth the law involving Judge Slaughter’s consistent and knowing violation of campaign finance laws via her illegal use of campaign funds for personal purposes.

The citation to the applicable law is followed up by various Defined and Detailed Tables setting forth the expenditures that clearly appear to be illegal.

Sec. 253.004: Unlawfully Making Expenditure states:

(a)  A person may not knowingly make or authorize a political expenditure in violation of this chapter.

(c)  A person who violates this section commits an offense.  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

(d)  In this section, "personal use" means a use that primarily furthers individual, or family purposes not connected with the performance of duties or activities as a candidate for or holder of a public office. 

(f)  A person who converts a political contribution to the person's personal use in violation of this section is civilly liable to the state for an amount equal to the amount of the converted contribution plus reasonable court costs.

The Texas Ethics Commission has ruled that it is permissible for a judge to use campaign funds to pay his/her annual State Bar Dues because judges are required to be members of the Bar. However, the Texas Ethics Commission limited this finding to “mandatory” dues for Texas judges. Put simply, payment of out-of-state Bar dues via the use of campaign funds is prohibited as a matter of law.

The facts gleaned from the Texas Ethics Commission website prove that Judge Smith illegally used campaign funds to pay Florida Bar Association Bar Dues from 2008 through 2022 as set forth below.

In addition, Judge Smith had the chutzpah to bill his campaign contributors a minimum of $1,199.00 to travel to Ireland to attend an “unnamed” supporter’s wedding in 2022.

Both the Florida Bar Dues and Travel to attend a supporter’s wedding are criminal violations of the Texas Ethics Laws and as such demand that Judge Smith be held criminally liable for his years-long conduct. In total, it appears that Smith is guilty of sixteen (16) separate and distinct criminal misdemeanors.

And lastly, this is just the tip of the iceberg as it relates to Judge Smith. There are many more misdemeanors he has engaged in, all of which will be addressed when time permits and directed to you and/or your office.

Table I – Illegal Florida Bar Association Annua Dues

Table II – Expenses to attend supporter’s wedding

I eagerly await your response.

David Palmer

Folsom, CA