The Truth About Sid Miller’s Record (With Receipts)
In recent forums, Sid Miller has flat-out lied about his scandals, corruption, and liberal record—claiming he’s being “targeted like President Donald Trump.” But unlike those unfounded attacks on President Trump, every action tied to Sid Miller is public, documented, and verifiable. We set the record straight below (with citations):
RECORD ON BORDER AND IMMIGRATION:
Miller talks tough on immigration, but his record tells a different story. He voted to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition, voting FOR HB 1403 (2001) (Record vote: 559). In an article titled: “In border meeting, Sid Miller suggests distance with Trump on border wall, immigration," Miller stated: “If we’re going to build a wall, Mexico needs some input.” That’s not defending the border—it’s undermining it.
INCREASED FEES ON FARMERS & RANCHERS:
After the legislature denied his request for a higher budget, Miller raised hundreds of agriculture fees on Texas farmers and ranchers. His fee hikes brought in $27 million—$6.5 million more than the programs actually cost—while he handed out $410,000 in staff bonuses. That’s not conservative budgeting; it’s waste dressed up as reform.
HEMP BRIBERY SCANDAL:
Miller has long faced scrutiny over his relationship with longtime political advisor Todd Smith, who was arrested in 2021 and later pled guilty to felony bribery for soliciting payments related to hemp licenses at the Texas Department of Agriculture. According to the arrest warrant, Smith’s associate falsely claimed there would be “only 15 total hemp licenses issued in the entire state” and told prospective applicants to pay $25,000 to secure one — even though each license cost only $100. Smith pled guilty to felony bribery last year — and Miller rewarded him by naming him Chief of Staff of the same agency. Miller now faces separate accusations that he asked a friend to hide his marijuana from federal agents. That’s not accountability; it’s corruption.
REGISTERED LOBBYIST:
Before becoming Agriculture Commissioner, Sid Miller cashed in on his time in the Texas House—working as a registered lobbyist for clients including a predatory lender and a foreign surveillance company accused of helping governments suppress free speech. Texans deserve leaders who serve the people, not profit from public office.
PERSONAL BENEFIT AT TAXPAYER & DONOR EXPENSE:
Sid Miller collected over $320,000 in federal farm subsidies from taxpayers while claiming to fight “big government.” He has repeatedly used his public office and campaign account for personal gain. He loaned himself $10,000 at 10% interest and repaid $31,000 from campaign funds, he spent $55,000 in donor money decorating his office, was fined by the Ethics Commission for using state funds to attend a Mississippi rodeo, and even billed taxpayers for a trip to Oklahoma to get a medical treatment he called a “Jesus Shot.”
DEI HYPOCRISY:
While publicly declaring “war on DEI,” Sid Miller used his official position to pressure the University of Texas to admit the daughter of a cannabis attorney friend—using the same DEI-style arguments he condemns. In his letter, Miller described the applicant as “disadvantaged,” even claiming she “didn’t own a computer.” In reality, she’s the daughter of a well-connected lawyer Miller later appointed to the Texas Industrial Hemp Council.
SELF-PROMOTION ON THE TAXPAYER’S DIME:
Sid Miller turned the taxpayer-funded GO TEXAN program—created to market Texas farm products—into a personal campaign platform. Last weekend, at the “Crossroads of Texas GO TEXAN Country Festival,” his agency bankrolled a multi-stage music event where Miller took the stage repeatedly, accepted awards, and introduced performers—all promoted on the department’s official pages. Miller is spending state resources spotlighting himself, from gas pumps to a newly wrapped Department of Agriculture truckbearing his campaign-style branding. What happens when the next commissioner takes office—will taxpayers foot the bill again to strip and rebrand everything?
ANTI-MAHA & ANTI-HEALTHY SCHOOLS:
Sid Miller’s very first act as Agriculture Commissioner was to declare “amnesty for cupcakes,” followed by lifting long-standing bans on deep fryers and sodas in Texas schools—a reversal of decades of progress toward healthier student meals. While Miller claims to champion “Farm Fresh” initiatives, his record tells a different story: more junk food, more slogans, and fewer healthy outcomes for Texas kids.
CLIMATE CHANGE:
Miller agrees with Joe Biden on global warming: “Asked specifically if he believed human beings have played a role in climate change, [Sid] Miller said he's come to believe so, especially after seeing the level of air pollution in Beijing and Shanghai during a recent trip to China… I’m a great champion of the environment, always have been.”