HEMP LICENSE BRIBERY SCHEME

What Happened:

  • Sid Miller’s top campaign strategist pled guilty to felony bribery for exploiting his access to the Agriculture Commissioner’s office.

  • The Texas Legislature set the hemp license fee at $100. Meanwhile, Miller’s consultant was shaking down farmers and business owners for $25,000 bribes, selling what should’ve cost $100 to those desperate to start legitimate businesses.

  • The arrest warrant spells out the details: text messages, bank records, and checks showing payments flowing directly into Miller’s consultant’s personal accounts. This wasn’t a rumor; it was documented evidence of pay-to-play politics at the Department of Agriculture.

Arrest warrant issued in Travis County, Texas, for Todd Malcolm Smith, commanding his arrest for theft of Texas Penal Code 31.03, a third degree felony with a bond of $10,000, signed by Magistrate Leon Grizzard on April 17, 2021.

Why This Matters:

• The people hurt most were Texas farmers and ranchers, the very folks the department is supposed to serve and protect. This wasn’t a paperwork mistake; it was a betrayal of public trust.

• And instead of cleaning house, Sid Miller hired the same man, the one who pleaded guilty to bribery, to run the department as his Chief of Staff. That’s not accountability. That’s rewarding corruption.

• Texans deserve a leader who understands that integrity is not optional; it’s the job description.