1 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:24,039 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the trib Cast for Tuesday, September second. 2 00:00:24,359 --> 00:00:27,519 I am Eleanor Klibanoff, a lawn politics reporter, joined as 3 00:00:27,559 --> 00:00:29,719 always by Matthew Watkins, editor in Chief. 4 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,719 Speaker 2: Hello, it is three. 5 00:00:32,679 --> 00:00:36,679 Speaker 1: Full months since sine die and the regular session version. 6 00:00:37,079 --> 00:00:42,039 We are still somehow doing the same thing. Although we 7 00:00:42,039 --> 00:00:44,159 should say we're recording this on Friday, and by the 8 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:45,280 time this air is on Tuesday. 9 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: Who knows what could happen. 10 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,079 Speaker 1: Speaker Burrows said he would get everybody out of here 11 00:00:50,079 --> 00:00:51,520 by Labor Day. 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,079 Speaker 2: That does not seem to be happening. 13 00:00:55,719 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, and now no one cares because Taylor Swift's 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:00,399 getting married exactly. 15 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, the main priorities, the whole legislature shuts down. 16 00:01:04,719 --> 00:01:06,799 Speaker 4: Did you guys have a bet on who could talk 17 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,400 about Taylor Swift first? That was like such a quick Yeah, 18 00:01:09,439 --> 00:01:10,680 there's a solid Segeay. 19 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 3: Well, this is all just a my attempt to hijack 20 00:01:16,719 --> 00:01:21,879 the podcast to talk about the. 21 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 2: Phones in schools ban Yeah, and how is it going 22 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:24,359 so far? 23 00:01:25,159 --> 00:01:29,079 Speaker 3: Well? This I feel like the Taylor Swift engagement was 24 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:33,359 the big test. Yeah, and my daughter, as I think 25 00:01:33,359 --> 00:01:35,519 we've maybe discussed before, it goes to an All Girls' 26 00:01:35,519 --> 00:01:39,200 School where this was just in place, and I really 27 00:01:39,239 --> 00:01:41,760 it took everything I had not to dispatch a reporter 28 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,680 to the school on the day of the announcement to see, 29 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,400 like this is the true test of will the kids 30 00:01:49,799 --> 00:01:53,200 actually not have their phones in school? And I would 31 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,079 like to report that my daughter found out in seventh period, 32 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,439 but it was because a teacher told. 33 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 5: Her okay, which is like how it should be. 34 00:02:01,799 --> 00:02:06,519 Speaker 3: And apparently this teacher said, I have really exciting news, 35 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,360 and uh, they were like what. She was like, it's 36 00:02:10,439 --> 00:02:13,960 really exciting. They're like what, and she's like, Taylor Swift's 37 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,400 getting married. And my daughter went yes, very loudly in 38 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,639 the middle of the class, wow, and no one else. So, 39 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:24,599 you know, I think the kids have moved on to 40 00:02:24,759 --> 00:02:26,240 K pop didn't this. 41 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: Is the right school for her. 42 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,439 Speaker 5: I'm just going to say it as someone who has. 43 00:02:30,159 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 2: You know, a lot of input in where your daughter 44 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:33,560 goes to school. This is not the right place. 45 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,599 Speaker 3: It feels like if this if there were any school 46 00:02:35,719 --> 00:02:38,280 that were you know, would be excited, it would be 47 00:02:39,319 --> 00:02:41,840 Anne Richards All Girls School. 48 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,039 Speaker 1: I like to think Anne Richards would have been excited 49 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,439 for Taylor's you know, she was a girl power lady. 50 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,319 Speaker 3: She was yeah, yeah, but yeah, you know she like 51 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,719 she kind of had like a country twing tour. I 52 00:02:55,719 --> 00:02:58,479 can see Anne Richards in like a I could see. 53 00:02:58,319 --> 00:03:00,039 Speaker 2: Anne Richards going to the Erastur. 54 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 3: Like a friendship. 55 00:03:01,159 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 2: Oh for sure, Yeah, she would love that. 56 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: And you know, I'm glad to hear the cell phone. 57 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,439 I mean, this is obviously so different and like I 58 00:03:08,439 --> 00:03:10,560 shouldn't even bring these two things up in the same conversation. 59 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,439 Speaker 2: But like I was in middle school when nine to. 60 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 4: Eleven, I knew this is where you were going because 61 00:03:17,159 --> 00:03:18,800 when he said seventh period, I was like, that's. 62 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:19,479 Speaker 2: Where I was. 63 00:03:19,759 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: And like a teacher, I couldn't have been. Actually, my 64 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,000 school like really mishandled it. They got they made announcement 65 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,000 that was like teachers don't tell the students anything. 66 00:03:27,159 --> 00:03:28,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's how it was with me. 67 00:03:29,039 --> 00:03:30,599 Speaker 4: And then it was I grew up in New Jersey, 68 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,479 so it was just like a slow drip of kids 69 00:03:32,759 --> 00:03:34,680 leaving school and we didn't know why. 70 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, but Taylor Swift news feels announceable yeah, and more positive. 71 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, and like no way of comparison. 72 00:03:46,199 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 2: And just a hard transition. 73 00:03:48,439 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: That voice you're hearing as I assume true fans of 74 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,240 the of the Texas Tribune will know, you know, our 75 00:03:56,319 --> 00:03:59,879 new Jersey girl, our Bruce Springsteen fan and Taylor Swift 76 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,479 and Kate McGee investigative reporter. 77 00:04:03,159 --> 00:04:04,439 Speaker 2: Is Bruce Springsteen married? 78 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 6: Yes, his wife performs with him like on the road. 79 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,639 Speaker 2: Sorry, sorry for not knowing that it's chances, Kate. It's like, no, 80 00:04:11,759 --> 00:04:12,759 I know, I know. 81 00:04:14,879 --> 00:04:17,759 Speaker 1: You know a lot of a generation of you know, 82 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,079 man oessensibly are sad that they can't marry Taylor Swift, 83 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:21,319 and Kate is mad that she can't. 84 00:04:23,199 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 3: Bruce Sprecing's in his eighties? 85 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: Is that true? 86 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,759 Speaker 6: No? No, no, seventies look it up. 87 00:04:29,399 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 3: Okay whatever. I had this conversation funnily enough with my 88 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,160 daughter recently because we have this family playlist and oh, 89 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,279 he's seventy five and like in the car, so everyone 90 00:04:40,319 --> 00:04:42,839 stops shouting each other about what music to this, and 91 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:45,040 we all can add an equal number. And I have 92 00:04:45,519 --> 00:04:48,560 backstreets from the Bruce Springsteen on that album, and my 93 00:04:48,639 --> 00:04:51,480 kids hate that song. It's like eight minutes long, which 94 00:04:51,519 --> 00:04:53,839 is exactly why I put it on there. And they 95 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,360 were like, is this song like from like the like 96 00:04:56,439 --> 00:05:00,360 the fifties? Like, No, it's from the late seven these 97 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,199 and then I looked it up and I was like, wait, 98 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,360 that means it's and it's actually from seventy five, which 99 00:05:05,399 --> 00:05:06,519 means it's fifty years old. 100 00:05:06,639 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is. 101 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,439 Speaker 4: I think actually it was like fifty years old last week. 102 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,040 I think the So we're really timely here. 103 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, well we are. 104 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: None of this is what we're here to talk about, 105 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,360 but we appreciate everyone sticking through that. What we are 106 00:05:21,399 --> 00:05:24,360 here to talk about is Kate's recent reporting on honestly 107 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,199 one of the most interesting characters in Texas politics, which 108 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:33,000 is Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Kate has been doing a 109 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:38,079 series of stories looking at some allegations against Commissioner Miller, 110 00:05:38,759 --> 00:05:42,000 and just wanted to talk with her about Kate, maybe 111 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,800 you can start us off, tell us like, who is 112 00:05:43,879 --> 00:05:48,319 Sid Miller and entirely separately, what is an agriculture commissioner? 113 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 3: He's six years younger than Bruce Springsteen. That actually yes, 114 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:54,399 I mean Bruce looks really good. 115 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, all right, So Sid Miller is has been the 116 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,040 Agriculture commission since twenty fourteen, about ten years. 117 00:06:02,399 --> 00:06:04,199 Speaker 6: He was a state rep. 118 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 4: For like from two thousand to he lost his election 119 00:06:09,199 --> 00:06:12,120 in twenty twelve, and that's how he shifted over and 120 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,879 ran for ag commissioner and has been has won three 121 00:06:14,959 --> 00:06:19,240 terms since. The Agriculture commissioner is the person who oversees 122 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:24,079 and regulates the agriculture industry and the state everything from livestock, 123 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:29,680 cattle to plants. They do like biosecurity, making sure people 124 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:37,439 aren't bringing like quarantined plants or fruits or seeds or 125 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:42,480 anything into the state that could harm the agriculture industry here. 126 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:49,120 And he has been, as you said, a character and 127 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:53,600 had since he's run. Since he's been commissioner, he's gotten 128 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:56,759 come under fire in a variety of ways. 129 00:06:56,959 --> 00:06:59,959 Speaker 6: For some of his activity as commissioner. 130 00:07:00,519 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 4: Really early in his tenure he got hit with a 131 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:10,399 few ethical scandals, one of which he was discovered to 132 00:07:10,439 --> 00:07:14,720 have used state money to travel to Oklahoma to get 133 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,120 what was known as a Jesus shot, which was a 134 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,879 shot that was claimed to take away all of your 135 00:07:21,959 --> 00:07:26,720 pain forever. He's also like a cattle roper and is 136 00:07:26,759 --> 00:07:30,079 really like involved in kind of the like the rodeo 137 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:35,959 world outside of his work as ad commissioner. He eventually, 138 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,120 I think paid the state back for that trip, but 139 00:07:39,199 --> 00:07:43,680 has also gotten dinged for kind of ethical violations with 140 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,120 the Ethics Commission and campaign finance reporting. And he made 141 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,439 another trip to a rodeo in Mississippi and used some 142 00:07:51,519 --> 00:07:53,480 state money for that. And so he's kind of gotten 143 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:55,920 dinged for all of these kind of ethical questions over 144 00:07:55,959 --> 00:07:59,839 the years, but has maintained, you know, been able to 145 00:07:59,839 --> 00:08:01,680 be re elected. He has a you know, he has 146 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:06,839 a strong maga. Donald Trump's supporter really runs on his 147 00:08:08,639 --> 00:08:12,000 kind of bona fides and connections and like really builds 148 00:08:12,079 --> 00:08:15,360 up his connections to Trump, and that's been successful for 149 00:08:15,439 --> 00:08:16,519 him every election. 150 00:08:16,839 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 3: One of the state's earliest and most enthusiastic Trump backers 151 00:08:22,079 --> 00:08:26,199 right in including I believe in twenty twenty four did 152 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,920 his sort of went out on his own with a 153 00:08:28,959 --> 00:08:34,759 bus tour of of of swing states backing Trump kind 154 00:08:34,759 --> 00:08:39,080 of I think, self funded, kind of independently making that push. 155 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, and really like I mean, I think a lot 156 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,320 of similarities between the two of them, right in terms 157 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,799 of you know, very bombastic, very sort of no unapologetically 158 00:08:47,879 --> 00:08:49,080 themselves let's say. 159 00:08:49,159 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, he has he's followed Trump in the 160 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,960 same kind of like strong social media presence. 161 00:08:54,039 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 2: He's come under. 162 00:08:54,759 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 4: Fire for like a variety of racist or homophobic things 163 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,080 that he's post did on a social media pages, and 164 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:08,080 you know, has defended his himself and you know, continues 165 00:09:08,159 --> 00:09:12,919 to kind of be inflammatory on social media, but it 166 00:09:13,039 --> 00:09:15,200 works for him, and it's you know, very similar to 167 00:09:15,279 --> 00:09:17,279 kind of how we see Trump use social media. 168 00:09:18,159 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: He also as Agriculture commissioner. There's nothing to sid Miller really, 169 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:22,720 but he is the guy who had to handle the 170 00:09:22,759 --> 00:09:24,120 mysterious seed thing. 171 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,039 Speaker 2: Do you remember this when seeds kept being mailed to. 172 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 6: People, Oh, yeah. 173 00:09:29,879 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 5: Allegedly from China and nobody really knew what that was about. 174 00:09:32,919 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 6: Yeah, I don't know what. I don't remember the I. 175 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 2: Don't remember the resolution that just I just remembered that anyway. 176 00:09:38,039 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously, like a very important role in Texas, 177 00:09:40,159 --> 00:09:44,480 a heavily agriculture state, like we also are the state 178 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:49,879 that you know, the US Agriculture Secretary came from Texas, 179 00:09:49,919 --> 00:09:51,440 so a really important role. 180 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 4: And I will also say, like not all states have 181 00:09:54,600 --> 00:10:00,399 elected agriculture commissioners, some are appointed, so Texas this is 182 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,320 one that you know, it's an elected role, so it's 183 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,840 kind of it plays a different role than other states, 184 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,759 you know, and other agencies in the state right are appointed. 185 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:10,759 Speaker 1: So now let's talk about like sort of the other 186 00:10:10,879 --> 00:10:13,639 main character in your reporting, which is Todd Smith. 187 00:10:14,799 --> 00:10:16,799 Speaker 2: Who is Todd Smith and all of this. 188 00:10:17,519 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 4: So, Todd Smith has been Sid Miller's political consultants since 189 00:10:21,279 --> 00:10:23,840 he first ran for the House twenty five years ago. 190 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,639 Speaker 6: He did, That's how they met. He worked on his campaign. 191 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:30,799 Speaker 4: Sid liked what he did and kept him along for 192 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,200 the ride ever since and has paid him as a consultant. 193 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:36,279 Speaker 2: Every year since. 194 00:10:37,799 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 4: Todd Smith has also been like a prolific lobbyist. He's lobbied, 195 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:45,600 you know, especially in the early two thousands, was lobbying 196 00:10:45,639 --> 00:10:50,799 for all different kinds of statewide and a national organizations 197 00:10:50,799 --> 00:10:54,440 here in Texas. Every thing from like the American Cancer 198 00:10:54,559 --> 00:11:01,519 Society to like home healthcare companies to you know, local 199 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,600 cities like the city of Stephenville where Sid Miller's from. 200 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:08,480 Todd Smith was their lobbyist. And also which kind of 201 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:13,120 becomes more relevant later on, he was lobbying for hemp 202 00:11:13,159 --> 00:11:17,240 farmers as well, in like the around twenty twenty when 203 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:23,679 the legalization of hemp farming happened in Texas. And so 204 00:11:23,759 --> 00:11:26,000 he's just kind of remained a person in the capital 205 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:28,639 for the last two decades. 206 00:11:29,919 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: So he's lobbying for hemp farmers. The Agriculture Commissioner oversees, 207 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,759 I mean it sort of walks through twenty twenty twenty, 208 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,679 hemp farming sort of becomes. 209 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,159 Speaker 4: Yeah, twenty nineteen, the twenty eighteen federally, the federal government 210 00:11:46,279 --> 00:11:52,519 legalizes hemp farming. Twenty nineteen, Texas follows suit legalizes the 211 00:11:52,879 --> 00:11:57,120 industrial hemp and like hemp related products or extracts like 212 00:11:57,159 --> 00:12:00,840 CBD oil if it's under point three percent THC. 213 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 3: The idea of being farmers in Texas need a new 214 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,279 cash crop, this will help the struggling in agriculture industry 215 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:08,759 and everything. 216 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it went amazing and we never looked back. 217 00:12:11,919 --> 00:12:13,679 There's no regrets at all. 218 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 3: Podcast over Yeah exactly. 219 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,399 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, okay. 220 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 4: So and so, because the Agriculture Department overseas farming, they 221 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,480 were the agency that was tasked with kind of planning 222 00:12:25,519 --> 00:12:28,120 out like how they were going to regulate this new 223 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,519 crop and this new you know avenue for farmers. And 224 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:36,440 so they the state or the legislature said when they. 225 00:12:36,399 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 6: Legalized it that there would be. 226 00:12:38,279 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 4: You know, an unlimited amount of hemp licenses that farmers 227 00:12:40,879 --> 00:12:44,480 could get. They'd be one hundred dollars each, and you know, 228 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:49,120 sid Miller's department was tasked with figuring out how to 229 00:12:49,279 --> 00:12:51,919 do kind of like the day to day paperwork minutia 230 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,399 of regulation of this new industry. 231 00:12:55,279 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: And then, much like the high school senior who sells 232 00:12:58,519 --> 00:13:02,720 an elevator pass to high school freshman, Todd Smith starts 233 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,120 allegedly sort of trying to make money off of these licenses. 234 00:13:06,159 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 4: Is that the allegation, yes so, And this never went 235 00:13:09,639 --> 00:13:13,759 to court because he eventually pleaded guilty to commercial bribery and. 236 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:20,879 Speaker 2: Settled last year. But he was accused of. 237 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 4: Going to He and another man were accused of going 238 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,960 to hemp farmers or people who were interested and interested 239 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:33,679 in investing in the hemp industry and soliciting money from them, 240 00:13:34,639 --> 00:13:37,759 a variety of money, some you know around some people 241 00:13:37,879 --> 00:13:40,279 said they were asked to pay like twenty five thousand 242 00:13:40,279 --> 00:13:42,320 dollars because he was saying there was going to be 243 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:46,000 a limited amount of hemp licenses and if people gave 244 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,039 this money, they would get to the front of the line. 245 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:55,200 And so they started, you know, asking people for checks. 246 00:13:55,279 --> 00:13:58,360 People started giving this money to him or the other 247 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:03,360 the other individual involved, and they were also soliciting money, 248 00:14:03,399 --> 00:14:07,080 saying that they needed money to conduct a survey of 249 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,879 Texans like opinions about HEMP, to be able to convince 250 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:13,759 lawmakers to support this. 251 00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 6: Industry, et cetera, et cetera. The arrest STAFFI David. 252 00:14:17,879 --> 00:14:21,279 Speaker 4: Eventually, when Todd Smith was arrested's found that he took 253 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,919 money from people, and then never this the surveys were 254 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:25,200 never conducted. 255 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 3: And they the idea here is, in reality, a license 256 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,159 to grow him in Texas costs one hundred dollars, and 257 00:14:33,279 --> 00:14:34,720 he was charging. 258 00:14:34,639 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 6: Twenty five thousand dollars. 259 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 3: For something that people didn't need, and like, little did 260 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:41,360 he know. 261 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: In five years, we have lots of surveys on how 262 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:45,320 people feel. 263 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,279 Speaker 2: About HEMP because it's all we can talk about. 264 00:14:48,519 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: So at this point, Commissioner Miller is not implicated in 265 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:52,399 any of this. 266 00:14:52,519 --> 00:14:53,919 Speaker 2: Right. The operation is that. 267 00:14:54,159 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: His political consultant is sort of doing this allegedly unrelated 268 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,000 to him, but you know, using sort of the power 269 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:01,720 of that office. 270 00:15:01,919 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 3: Correct, It's worth noting the timing of his guilty plea though, 271 00:15:06,879 --> 00:15:08,360 can you talk about right and. 272 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 4: I will say before we get into the like there 273 00:15:10,639 --> 00:15:14,960 were if when you read the investigative files from DPS 274 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,399 there and the arrest affidavit like he was using the 275 00:15:18,399 --> 00:15:20,759 power of the office. But there was also allegations made 276 00:15:20,799 --> 00:15:23,279 that he was like taking this like the seal of 277 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:26,679 the office letterhead and then using that print letters that 278 00:15:26,759 --> 00:15:31,039 he was sending to kind of give his scheme some 279 00:15:31,159 --> 00:15:32,000 like legitimacy. 280 00:15:32,679 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: So it's not like you or me trying to do 281 00:15:34,639 --> 00:15:36,440 this where people would be like, you don't have access 282 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:37,399 to these HEMP licenses. 283 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 2: Right, It's like right, he's right, and yeah, exactly. 284 00:15:40,759 --> 00:15:43,399 Speaker 4: And so he gets arrested and indicted for fraud and 285 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:44,519 commercial bribery. 286 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 2: The case, you know, is making its way. 287 00:15:47,799 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 4: The Travis County DA's office is prosecuting and his It 288 00:15:53,639 --> 00:15:56,000 was set for trial in late October of last year, 289 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,120 a few weeks before sid Miller was subpoena to testify 290 00:16:00,159 --> 00:16:03,399 in the trial, and a week later Todd Smith, who 291 00:16:03,399 --> 00:16:08,279 had previously pled not guilty, pleaded guilty to commercial bribery 292 00:16:08,559 --> 00:16:11,320 in it, with a deferred adjudication of about two years 293 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,399 and a like one year freeze on being able to 294 00:16:14,879 --> 00:16:18,879 lobby in the state, and he did not plead guilty. 295 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 2: To the fraud charge. 296 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 1: Like the implication of that timing being that they didn't 297 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,240 want sid Miller to have. 298 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 2: To be deposed. 299 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 6: That is I think people's understanding. 300 00:16:29,559 --> 00:16:32,399 Speaker 2: That's the connection some people are drawing between A and B. Yes, gotcha. 301 00:16:33,399 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: So then, as I would presume, Todd Smith chagrined, chased 302 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,120 out of state government, not allowed to return. 303 00:16:44,159 --> 00:16:47,639 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean previously, when this all happened and Tod 304 00:16:47,679 --> 00:16:50,919 Smith was arrested, like Sid Miller separated himself and distanced 305 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,279 himself from Todd Smith, said he had stopped using him 306 00:16:53,279 --> 00:16:58,080 as a political consultant. Was really like trying to create distance. 307 00:16:58,759 --> 00:17:02,519 And then, you know, October he pleads guilty. And then 308 00:17:02,919 --> 00:17:05,480 a few months later, in January of this year, Sid 309 00:17:05,519 --> 00:17:08,400 Miller hires Todd Smith to be the chief of staff 310 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,480 for the entire for his executive office in the Department 311 00:17:11,519 --> 00:17:15,359 of Agriculture. You know, Tod Smith had never been employed 312 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,119 by the Department of Agriculture before, he was just his 313 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,599 political consultant. But now he is serving as Sid Miller's 314 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:24,960 political consultant and the chief of staff for this agency. 315 00:17:27,559 --> 00:17:31,799 Shocking a lot of people who were confused and frustrated 316 00:17:31,839 --> 00:17:35,079 that Sid Miller would bring this guy who he had 317 00:17:35,279 --> 00:17:41,279 who had pleaded guilty to essentially you know, defrauding the agency. 318 00:17:41,599 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 2: Now is the chief of chief of staff. 319 00:17:44,799 --> 00:17:48,680 Speaker 3: Basically to repeat that, someone who while not working for 320 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:50,799 the agency but working for the head of the agency, 321 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:57,640 pleaded guilty toally illegally an illegal scheme to sell licenses 322 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,359 that he didn't have a right to license from the 323 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:05,039 Department of Agriculture, pled guilty and then was later hired 324 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,559 by the agency to be essentially like, if not second 325 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,319 in command, at least like a very high ranking person 326 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,799 who you know, has a lot of control over access 327 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,359 to the elected official and presumably a lot of control 328 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:20,839 over the operations of the agency. 329 00:18:20,839 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 4: And yeah, exactly, it seems like he's second or third 330 00:18:24,279 --> 00:18:27,920 in command. There's Sid Miller, then there's a deputy commissioner, 331 00:18:28,079 --> 00:18:31,680 and then Todd is really overseeing a lot of increasingly 332 00:18:31,799 --> 00:18:36,039 a lot of departments in the within the the Agriculture Agency. 333 00:18:36,559 --> 00:18:38,559 Speaker 1: And I mean your reporting has shown that, you know, 334 00:18:38,599 --> 00:18:41,920 even before he was hired, people raise a lot of 335 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,880 concerns about sort of Todd Smith's influence on the agency. 336 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,880 Like what has like what has your reporting shown about 337 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:50,359 what the concerns are around him. 338 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, so our first story that we did and why 339 00:18:53,519 --> 00:18:55,640 it's kind of important to know. The backstory of the 340 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:59,039 Todd Smith case is that, as you know, once that 341 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:04,559 case closed with DPS, all those documents and investigative files 342 00:19:04,599 --> 00:19:08,200 became public, and so we requested the investigative file, and 343 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,359 that's how we learned of a variety of other allegations 344 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,519 that were made by some of against Sid Miller in 345 00:19:15,559 --> 00:19:19,839 the course of this investigation to DPS about Sid Miller 346 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:25,000 not related to Todd Smith's like bribery case, but related 347 00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:30,759 to Sid Miller's hemp farm and his like activity that 348 00:19:30,799 --> 00:19:35,960 he was doing. And so we in those documents and 349 00:19:36,039 --> 00:19:38,720 we you know, we got those document written like police 350 00:19:38,759 --> 00:19:42,319 files and recordings of interviews that DPS did with all 351 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,480 of these some of them were at the time they 352 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,720 were working, they were employees, high level employees in the 353 00:19:47,759 --> 00:19:51,279 Department of Agriculture. Many of them are now former employees. 354 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,519 We can get into that later. And friends of Sid 355 00:19:55,559 --> 00:19:58,279 Miller's who never worked for the agency, but you know, 356 00:19:58,519 --> 00:20:03,319 we're really close with Sid over the years what so like. 357 00:20:04,039 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: Basically, in the course of investigating these allegations against Todd Smith, 358 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,200 which eventually did end up with an indictment and a 359 00:20:10,279 --> 00:20:14,200 guilty plea, other people started bringing up other stuff that 360 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,200 has not generated any sort of criminal. 361 00:20:17,519 --> 00:20:21,279 Speaker 4: CORRECTDPS said, even as I asked them recently, they said 362 00:20:21,279 --> 00:20:25,519 they are not investigating any of the further claims that 363 00:20:25,559 --> 00:20:30,240 had been made. But so what happened was in the 364 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:36,359 Todd Smith investigation there were multiple claims made about Sid 365 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:39,279 Miller's hemp farm. So Sid Miller, you know, is regulating 366 00:20:39,319 --> 00:20:42,039 the agency, you know, regulating the hemp industry as part 367 00:20:42,039 --> 00:20:44,599 of the Department of Agriculture, and is also one of 368 00:20:44,599 --> 00:20:47,960 the people who got a hemp license and started growing hemp, 369 00:20:48,079 --> 00:20:56,960 which is legal, sure, and his there are his employees alleged. 370 00:20:57,279 --> 00:21:01,079 The following one was a man, Freddy Vest, who no 371 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,559 longer works with the department. He said that he was 372 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,960 told by an employee came up to him at the 373 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,599 agg Department and said that they had gotten an email 374 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:13,400 from the Drug Enforcement and Administration saying that they were 375 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,119 requesting information into Sid Miller's hemp farm. Freddy Vest was 376 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:20,799 a friend of Sid Millers had worked for the Department 377 00:21:20,839 --> 00:21:24,759 of Agricultures since Sid became the commissioner in twenty fourteen. 378 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:27,599 He went and told Sid Miller and said, hey, the 379 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,240 DEA is asking questions about your hemp farm. The DEA 380 00:21:32,039 --> 00:21:36,160 was upset, I mean Sid Miller was upset, got nervous, 381 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:40,160 upset with Freddy for even telling him about this. But 382 00:21:40,799 --> 00:21:43,119 Freddy Vest in the course of this investigation tells the 383 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:49,960 DPS about this separately. Another person, Michael Hackney, who was 384 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,960 a longtime friend of Sid Miller, is a cattle roper. 385 00:21:53,759 --> 00:21:54,599 Speaker 2: They were very close. 386 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 4: He was like living on Sid Miller's property in his 387 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:01,000 motor home for a period of years. Told he was 388 00:22:01,039 --> 00:22:04,640 interviewed by DPS and told them that later that year. 389 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,480 This is all happening in twenty twenty two. Later that year, 390 00:22:08,799 --> 00:22:10,799 Sid Miller showed up at his motor home rent one 391 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,400 night with like three bags of marijuana gummies and like 392 00:22:14,559 --> 00:22:17,759 rolled joints and asked him to get rid of this 393 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,799 product because the DA was looking into his farm and 394 00:22:21,839 --> 00:22:24,039 he didn't want to. He couldn't They couldn't find this 395 00:22:24,039 --> 00:22:27,440 stuff on his property. 396 00:22:27,599 --> 00:22:31,400 Speaker 2: All of this, you know, is reported. 397 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,839 Speaker 4: There's like some question of whether Travis County DA was 398 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,400 even informed of of Michael Hackney's interview. 399 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:39,279 Speaker 2: There's some back and. 400 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,079 Speaker 4: Forth there that we but it never makes it into 401 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,960 any of the the case with Todd Smith because it's 402 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:47,720 you know, irrelevant to that case. 403 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,039 Speaker 2: And Miller denies all of this. He flatly denies. 404 00:22:51,079 --> 00:22:54,400 Speaker 4: He did say that Freddy vest told him the DEA 405 00:22:54,559 --> 00:22:57,319 was looking into his hemp farm, but said he checked 406 00:22:57,319 --> 00:23:00,359 it out and it was not like there was nothing 407 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,680 to it. The DEEA told us that they could not 408 00:23:03,839 --> 00:23:08,839 confirm or deny any investigation into anything, and they don't. 409 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:13,039 They routinely do not confirm any investigation and after unless 410 00:23:13,039 --> 00:23:17,200 it's been fully adjudicated by the courts. But he says, 411 00:23:17,319 --> 00:23:20,359 and he told me, you know, if I if I 412 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,480 were to do that, if I were to like get 413 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,200 had product I needed to get rid of, I would 414 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:25,880 have done it myself. Like why would I have asked 415 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:27,359 someone else to get rid of it for me? That 416 00:23:27,519 --> 00:23:29,319 was his defense when we asked him about it. 417 00:23:30,839 --> 00:23:33,680 Speaker 1: But yeah, and also I think a great quote which 418 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,440 is Freddy is a damn drama queen. Yeah, which you know, 419 00:23:37,559 --> 00:23:39,200 he's got a he's got away with words. 420 00:23:40,279 --> 00:23:45,839 Speaker 4: But then subsequently what was alleged, you know this the 421 00:23:45,839 --> 00:23:49,240 Todd Smith case is settled, he pleads guilty. 422 00:23:49,319 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 6: He gets hired in January. 423 00:23:51,519 --> 00:23:54,759 Speaker 4: In May of this year, Freddy is still working at 424 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,960 the Department of agriculture, and he and others are getting 425 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,400 like increasingly concerned about Todd Smith's presence something that they 426 00:24:03,519 --> 00:24:07,920 have that DPS like UH interviews during the Todd Smith 427 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,160 investigation found repeatedly over and over that people were raising 428 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,880 concerns with Todd Smith's presence of the TDA even before 429 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:14,559 he was hired. 430 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,559 Speaker 2: That people were told, like. 431 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 4: Don't take one on one meetings with him. People were 432 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,039 saying that they would refuse to go to meetings with 433 00:24:22,079 --> 00:24:28,200 Todd Smith because they were concerned about his involvement. Freddie 434 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:32,319 Vest tells some of this to Sid Miller in May 435 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:36,119 of this year, saying, you know, we're concerned about Todd's presence. 436 00:24:36,599 --> 00:24:43,039 In the course of this conversation, Freddy Vest tells Sid 437 00:24:43,079 --> 00:24:46,559 Miller that there are people out there who like have 438 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:52,519 illicit photos of Sid Miller, and that there are like 439 00:24:52,559 --> 00:24:56,039 people don't want Todd Smith around, and that like Freddie 440 00:24:56,079 --> 00:25:00,359 is concerned that they might make these photos public or 441 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,440 like turn against Sid Miller. Sid Miller takes this as 442 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,720 a black as blackmail and thinks and thinks that Freddy 443 00:25:08,759 --> 00:25:10,400 is saying you need to get rid of Todd Smith 444 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,119 and let or people are going to release photos he 445 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:17,799 fires Freddy and reports him to DPS, saying that he's 446 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:21,880 been like for coursing a public official. In the course 447 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:26,720 of that investigation, Freddy then shares additional information about sid 448 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,960 Miller's HEMP activity. 449 00:25:30,799 --> 00:25:32,599 Speaker 6: You can tell that this is like extremely messy. 450 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 3: And to be clear, DPS does not pursue charges against Freddy. 451 00:25:37,279 --> 00:25:38,079 Speaker 2: Right correct. 452 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 4: They investigated and closed the case and did not charge 453 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:42,079 him with any crimes. 454 00:25:41,839 --> 00:25:45,759 Speaker 1: He also said he's just a damn drama que It 455 00:25:45,799 --> 00:25:47,160 does finding. 456 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 3: It does seem to be like there's two possibilities here, 457 00:25:51,039 --> 00:25:54,279 one being these folks are telling the truth about sid 458 00:25:54,279 --> 00:25:56,400 Miller and sid Miller has gotten tangled up in a 459 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:02,640 lot of very questionable activities. Two, sid Miller hired a 460 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:07,480 bunch of liars and drama queens and and also someone 461 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,880 who you know, pled guilty to bribery, and that calls 462 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,880 in to question, you know, some of the decision making 463 00:26:15,279 --> 00:26:17,000 of who he's bringing into his agency. 464 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,759 Speaker 4: Yeah, and he like dismisses everything that people have said 465 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,480 at these former employees have said as like disgruntled former employees. 466 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:28,880 The other accusation that came out in this conversation once 467 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:34,160 DPS started investigating investigating this bribery accusation. Freddie told them 468 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:38,680 about another former employee at the Department of Agriculture. His 469 00:26:38,759 --> 00:26:42,799 name is Walt Roberts. Walt is also a character. He's 470 00:26:42,839 --> 00:26:47,160 been at the department since twenty fourteen. He's also like 471 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:51,200 a world class fiddler and like an actor and was 472 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,319 in the second season of mo I don't know if 473 00:26:53,319 --> 00:26:57,680 you saw that show on Netflix. So he's he's got 474 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,559 his hands in different you know, he's a runaissance man. 475 00:27:00,839 --> 00:27:04,079 Speaker 5: The Taylor Swift the Agriculture department. 476 00:27:05,519 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 4: But he said that Walt had told him about a 477 00:27:10,319 --> 00:27:16,039 time also in twenty twenty two where Walt went to 478 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,160 Bastrop with Sid Miller where and Sid Miller was bringing 479 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,119 a bunch of bags of his harvested hemp and that 480 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:26,839 he exchanged it for these role these little black tubes 481 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,759 that had these rolled joints in them. And the accusation 482 00:27:30,839 --> 00:27:35,440 that was made was that Sid was exchanging his hemp 483 00:27:35,599 --> 00:27:38,319 for taking his hemp there they were spraying it with 484 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:43,000 synthetic THHC and then giving it back to to Sid. 485 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,559 Speaker 6: That was that was the accusations. 486 00:27:45,839 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 4: Illegal illegal, Okay, so spraying it with enough THHC that 487 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,400 it was going above the point three threshold. 488 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:56,319 Speaker 2: Sid Miller also denies this. 489 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,400 Speaker 4: He denied that he ever sold hemp in bas Drop 490 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:06,160 at all. And but Walt Roberts, you know, we reached 491 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:07,920 out to Walt Roberts. He didn't want to talk for 492 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,279 this story, but he did confirm Freddy's accounting to DPS 493 00:28:12,799 --> 00:28:14,039 and said that he was very. 494 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:15,279 Speaker 2: Uncomfortable with the whole situation. 495 00:28:16,839 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 4: But again, it was just raising additional questions and allegations 496 00:28:21,039 --> 00:28:24,039 about what Sid was doing with his his hemp that 497 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:24,880 he had harvested. 498 00:28:25,759 --> 00:28:27,640 Speaker 1: Right, And again, sort of to your point, Matthew, like 499 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,480 either all of these people are cooking up very very 500 00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:35,720 elaborate lies about their boss or former boss and or 501 00:28:35,759 --> 00:28:39,480 boss or you know, to state police, to state police, 502 00:28:39,559 --> 00:28:45,039 right or potentially commission Miller is evolved in some like 503 00:28:45,279 --> 00:28:48,319 you know, I mean, all of this feels like sort 504 00:28:48,359 --> 00:28:51,400 of playing at the edges of a thing that you know, 505 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:53,680 they are really debating at the capitol, right, which is 506 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:57,240 like how should we regulate hemp and THHC and like 507 00:28:57,279 --> 00:29:00,319 where should the limits be? And it's a relatively new 508 00:29:00,359 --> 00:29:03,279 industry here, and like you know, but certainly playing at 509 00:29:03,279 --> 00:29:05,799 the edges of legality. 510 00:29:06,599 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 3: So you've written you know, a couple of stories about 511 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,319 this with with a lot of the revelations that you 512 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:17,799 just described. What has the reaction been among Sid Miller's 513 00:29:17,799 --> 00:29:22,519 colleagues and you know, fellow statewide leaders in the in 514 00:29:22,559 --> 00:29:23,519 the Republican Party. 515 00:29:26,279 --> 00:29:33,119 Speaker 4: Sid's colleagues have been relatively silent, to be honest, they're 516 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,400 from my understanding is they have been told not to 517 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:41,839 talk to the media, and so there's been a lot 518 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,640 of silence from the Department. I mean, I think people 519 00:29:44,799 --> 00:29:49,359 who the people involved in the story anyway, so that's 520 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:54,200 been kind of the major reaction I feel like, I mean, 521 00:29:54,279 --> 00:29:57,680 a lot of the same from the Republican Party. To 522 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:02,279 be honest, there has been some criticism on social media, 523 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,359 but you know, I haven't seen there's been no like 524 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:10,200 defense of SID at this point, and from public statements 525 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:10,960 from lawmakers. 526 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:14,359 Speaker 1: Maybe you can talk a little bit about like I 527 00:30:14,359 --> 00:30:16,480 think people see these stories go up on our website 528 00:30:16,839 --> 00:30:19,039 or like a lot of news websites, and it's like 529 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:22,400 and certainly I don't know that we've heard this from 530 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,519 Commissioner Miller, but like we're certainly in an era where 531 00:30:24,519 --> 00:30:26,960 I think people are very quick to dismiss sort of 532 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,240 investigative reporting. Are these kind of findings you talk a 533 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:30,759 little bit about like what it takes to get a 534 00:30:30,799 --> 00:30:33,559 story like this. We're not just like saying, like some 535 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:35,359 guy told us this and we're putting it up on 536 00:30:35,359 --> 00:30:36,720 the internet, right right. 537 00:30:36,799 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 4: I mean, these were all everything that we reported on 538 00:30:40,079 --> 00:30:43,440 for the most part. That was in both of the stories, 539 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,799 especially the first one which was about Sid. The allegations 540 00:30:47,839 --> 00:30:53,960 about Miller's activity with his hemp farm, our allegations. 541 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:54,519 Speaker 2: Made in public records. 542 00:30:54,559 --> 00:30:58,279 Speaker 4: I mean, we put in multiple open records requests to 543 00:30:58,519 --> 00:31:02,519 DPS for these investgateve files, for the interviews that they conducted. 544 00:31:03,039 --> 00:31:06,200 And this story is simply laying out what those allegations 545 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,880 are for people to decide for themselves, you know what 546 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,200 they think right now. I mean, Sid Miller denies all 547 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,119 of it. And but these these were people who were 548 00:31:16,119 --> 00:31:20,240 approached by DPS and asked questions, you know, and interviewed. 549 00:31:20,799 --> 00:31:22,079 Speaker 6: That's also a thing to note. 550 00:31:22,079 --> 00:31:24,079 Speaker 4: They were not you know, I think we saw with 551 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,640 like Ken Paxton like his and the whistleblower trial, like 552 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,240 the whistleblowers went to the FBI, like these people did 553 00:31:30,279 --> 00:31:33,160 not go out of their way to report Sid Miller. 554 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:38,119 This was information they shared when they were asked by 555 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,000 DPS to be interviewed. So we I mean, it's a 556 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:46,240 it was a lot of reading through hundreds of pages 557 00:31:46,279 --> 00:31:49,480 of files, listening to these audio interviews, reaching out to 558 00:31:50,119 --> 00:31:53,839 the people who were interviewed in the story, whether they 559 00:31:53,839 --> 00:31:57,160 wanted to elaborate or you know, corroborate what was what 560 00:31:57,279 --> 00:32:02,200 was kind of said in these in these investigative files 561 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,079 and police reports, you know, making sure that DPS was 562 00:32:05,119 --> 00:32:09,480 summarizing the conversation accurately. A lot of people did not 563 00:32:09,559 --> 00:32:11,920 want to talk on the record, so we really had 564 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:13,359 we really relied a lot. 565 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 2: On what they said in those actual interviews. 566 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:18,559 Speaker 4: You know, then it was going to Sid Miller laying 567 00:32:18,599 --> 00:32:21,359 out the claims that were in these documents, giving him 568 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:26,200 a chance to respond to every single accusation. And you know, 569 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,559 we're continuing to file open records requests with the TDA 570 00:32:29,799 --> 00:32:32,920 to to continue reporting on this story. 571 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 2: Great, Yeah, another Sid Miller burning Sid Miller questions. 572 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,839 Speaker 3: I just I guess sort of an observation. It's it's 573 00:32:42,839 --> 00:32:46,279 interesting to watch this play out, right, I Mean, the 574 00:32:46,599 --> 00:32:53,200 silence among elected officials is curious, right, I Mean, on 575 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:58,720 the one hand, you you know, maybe it's not surprising 576 00:32:58,799 --> 00:33:02,000 to see fellow republic and sort of not go after, 577 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:04,640 you know, members of their own party and members of 578 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:08,759 their own actions. And the silence and lack of defense 579 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:14,400 could possibly be read as not really wanting to be 580 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,400 associated with our back but also not you know, wanting 581 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,599 to stick their neck out and everything like that. It's 582 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:23,559 also just kind of an interesting situation because, right I mean, 583 00:33:23,599 --> 00:33:25,519 we're in the middle of this conversation about like how 584 00:33:25,559 --> 00:33:29,319 harmful is THHC, how harmful is marijuana? Like is this 585 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,559 really a bad thing? Should we be allowed people being 586 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,160 allowing people to buy it and all those types of stuff. 587 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,319 At the same time, it's the Agriculture Department's job to 588 00:33:39,759 --> 00:33:42,400 be in some ways putting up some guardrails and making 589 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,920 sure that this is happening ethically and you know, all 590 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:50,000 above board and raising questions about whether the Agriculture Commissioner 591 00:33:50,039 --> 00:33:55,559 himself is involved with that. So I don't know. I mean, 592 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:58,200 on the other hand, you know, we're not that far 593 00:33:58,279 --> 00:34:01,279 off from the impeachment of the Attorney general right there. 594 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,000 There has been a willingness in the past for Republicans 595 00:34:04,039 --> 00:34:07,039 to go after Republicans in this way, and so it's 596 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:12,159 just been curious to me to watch the silence here 597 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:14,119 and try to understand what that means. 598 00:34:14,559 --> 00:34:15,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, go ahead. 599 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,280 Speaker 4: I mean I was going to say, we also just 600 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,920 to add on to that, where he's heading into a 601 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:26,119 reelection next year, he has an opponent who's raised like 602 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:29,440 I think in the July reporting filing he had raised 603 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,639 like four hundred thousand dollars to Sid Miller's seventy thousand dollars. 604 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,000 Sid is not raised a ton of money, and maybe 605 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,800 that will change as things go. I remember his last 606 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:43,239 election too, he you know, there were some state lawmakers 607 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:45,360 then who stayed out of the race in terms of 608 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:49,880 endorsing a candidate. So we'll see if that is repeated 609 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:54,320 this time, or if people decide to publicly back him. 610 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:56,679 But I think, well, what happens in the next few 611 00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,199 months will be interesting and next year will be interesting. 612 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,159 Speaker 2: As we watched the campaign roll out. 613 00:35:01,199 --> 00:35:05,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, and there's certainly a case in you know, 614 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:09,840 the Republican primary electorate where folks are willing to look 615 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,280 past ethical violations or concerns about how they run their 616 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,559 office if they view you as a warrior for their 617 00:35:16,679 --> 00:35:21,000 side right against you know, concerns about you know, how 618 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,920 liberals or even in some cases moderate establishment republicans are 619 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,400 running the state. If you are willing to go after them, 620 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:30,639 or you were willing to fight on behalf of those frustrations, 621 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:36,000 they'll look past a lot. And Sid Miller is definitely 622 00:35:36,119 --> 00:35:38,360 willing to fight and willing to kind of take that 623 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,320 stance in that maga approach to government. 624 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:41,800 Speaker 2: So it'll be interesting to. 625 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 1: Watch, just especially notable considering the role the Agriculture Commissioner 626 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:50,639 plays on the front lines of the culture wars. But 627 00:35:50,679 --> 00:35:52,760 certainly I think he has he has made his name 628 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,800 that way for sure. Kate, thank you so much for 629 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:57,960 joining us. We'll look forward to the rest of your reporting, 630 00:35:58,079 --> 00:36:02,440 but you can find it all at Texas Bune dot org. Matthew, 631 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:05,280 thank you as always. Our producers are Rob and Chris. 632 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,519 You can find the Trip Cast anywhere you get your 633 00:36:07,519 --> 00:36:12,199 podcasts or on YouTube, and we will see you next week.