AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has rehired a former aide who pleaded guilty to bribery.
A Travis County warrant confirmed Todd Smith was arrested in April of 2021.
Court documents detail a Texas Rangers investigation accusing Smith of soliciting money from farmers and business owners in exchange for hemp licenses. Records show Smith solicited $150,000 from various applications, though hemp licenses are capped at $100 under state law.
Court documents also note Smith was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution, and his case was able to be dismissed after two years of probation.
According to our news partners with the Austin American-Statesman, Commissioner Miller confirmed Smith parted ways after the incident. Miller said Smith was recently rehired as chief of staff on Jan. 14.
“One of the best hires I’ve made,” Miller told the Statesman.
Miller said he had no hesitations about the decision.
“He’s a man of integrity, a true believer, a true Christian,” Miller said.
The agriculture commissioner told the Statesman he has known Smith for 25 years, going back to Miller’s first political campaign. He believes Smith was the victim of a politically motivated attack by a “weaponized” judicial system.
“He’s innocent. He could have proved his innocence, but he’s facing a George Soros judge, a George Soros district attorney and a Travis County Democrat jury,” Miller said. “They weren’t after Todd; they were after me. They were just going through Todd to get to me, but there wasn’t anything to get because he didn’t do anything wrong [and] I didn’t do anything wrong.”