CONROE, Texas – The Montgomery County Judge’s Office confirmed Monday that Judge Mark Keough has tested positive for coronavirus.
According to the office, he is asymptomatic and quarantining.
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Chief of staff Jason Millsaps sent out an official statement on the matter:
“On Wednesday, Dec. 16, Judge Keough was notified by his physician that before he undergoes surgery for his hip on Dec. 18, he must take a COVID test. When the Judge took the routine test the results were positive for the coronavirus. The judge then notified everyone he was around on Monday and Tuesday. We can confirm that the surgery for his hip was due the car accident he was involved in, in September. Judge Keough was asymptomatic when he tested positive and he is still asymptomatic now.”
Keough was charged with driving while intoxicated in connection with the crash after investigators learned he had high levels of zolpidem, commonly referred to as Ambien in his system at the time of the crash.
Investigators said Keough’s vehicle first sideswiped a car, swerved onto the shoulder of the road and hit the back of the cruiser before coming to a stop, according to the affidavit. Keough was not wearing his seat belt and did not apply the brakes until less than a second before crashing into the cruiser, according to the affidavit.
Keough has also been outspoken about his views on masks and other coronavirus policies. When Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner canceled the in-person convention for the Republican Party of Texas planned at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Keough invited the party to hold its convention in Montgomery County.
“It has just come to my attention that the city of Houston has canceled the Republican Party convention. That is amazing to me. And the reason that’s amazing to me is that just four weeks ago, there was no mention of any problems about 60,000 people gathering together to protest,” he said at the time. “(There was) no mention of handwashing, no mention of social distancing and no mention of wearing masks or any of that.”
Montgomery County was also among the first counties to push back on Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening plan when Abbott announced it in April. He also pushed for the state to be 100% reopened in September.
“Whether we are open or closed, 99% of us are going to survive this,” Keough said.