WEBVTT 1 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:24.039 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 Hello, it is three. 5 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:36.679 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 Who knows what could happen. 10 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.079 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 That does not seem to be happening. 13 00:00:55.719 --> 00:00:59.280 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 Yeah, the main priorities, the whole legislature shuts down. 16 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:06.799 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 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 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 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 Her okay, which is like how it should be. 34 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:06.519 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 Is the right school for her. 42 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:30.439 I'm just going to say it as someone who has. 43 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:32.080 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 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 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 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 Anne Richards going to the Erastur. 54 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:00.919 Like a friendship. 55 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:02.800 Oh for sure, Yeah, she would love that. 56 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:05.960 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 But like I was in middle school when nine to. 60 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:16.680 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 Where I was. 63 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:22.520 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 Yeah, that's how it was with me. 67 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:30.599 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 Yeah, but Taylor Swift news feels announceable yeah, and more positive. 71 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:45.639 Yeah, and like no way of comparison. 72 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:47.560 And just a hard transition. 73 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:53.240 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 Is Bruce Springsteen married? 78 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:08.560 Yes, his wife performs with him like on the road. 79 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.639 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 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 Bruce Sprecing's in his eighties? 85 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:25.360 Is that true? 86 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:28.759 No? No, no, seventies look it up. 87 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.160 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 Yeah, it is. 101 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.439 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 Yeah, well we are. 104 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:18.000 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 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 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 He was a state rep. 118 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:09.040 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 For some of his activity as commissioner. 130 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:04.000 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 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 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 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 He's come under. 162 00:08:54.759 --> 00:08:59.480 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 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 Do you remember this when seeds kept being mailed to. 172 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:30.559 People, Oh, yeah. 173 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:32.679 Allegedly from China and nobody really knew what that was about. 174 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:34.600 Yeah, I don't know what. I don't remember the I. 175 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.559 Don't remember the resolution that just I just remembered that anyway. 176 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:40.120 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 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 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 Who is Todd Smith and all of this. 188 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:21.240 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 He did, That's how they met. He worked on his campaign. 191 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:30.799 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 Every year since. 194 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:41.600 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 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 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 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 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 Podcast over Yeah exactly. 219 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:17.399 Yeah, yeah, okay. 220 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:21.080 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 Legalized it that there would be. 226 00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:40.840 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 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 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 Settled last year. But he was accused of. 237 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:26.080 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 Industry, et cetera, et cetera. The arrest STAFFI David. 252 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:21.279 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 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 Twenty five thousand dollars. 259 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:41.080 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 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 About HEMP because it's all we can talk about. 264 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:51.960 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 Right. The operation is that. 267 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:59.240 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 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 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 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 Right, It's like right, he's right, and yeah, exactly. 284 00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:43.399 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 The case, you know, is making its way. 287 00:15:47.799 --> 00:15:53.600 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 To the fraud charge. 296 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:24.000 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 To be deposed. 299 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:28.960 That is I think people's understanding. 300 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:32.399 That's the connection some people are drawing between A and B. Yes, gotcha. 301 00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:40.320 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 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 Now is the chief of chief of staff. 319 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.680 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 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 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 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 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 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 They were very close. 386 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:57.200 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 All of this, you know, is reported. 397 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:35.839 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 There's some back and. 400 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:42.079 Forth there that we but it never makes it into 401 00:22:42.119 --> 00:22:44.960