KEMAH, Texas – Matt Wiggins, the former mayor of Kemah, has been found guilty of violating state election laws. The Texas Ethics Commission sanctioned the Kemah city official this week for the misuse of tax money and fined him $1,000, according to a news release sent by Dolcefino Consulting.
The firm filed multiple criminal and ethics complaints against Wiggins, who now controls the cost of water and fire protection for the area as the president of the Water Control and Improvement District No. 12.
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Wiggins was accused of misusing taxpayer funds by ordering the mass mailing of attack letters against political opponents in the monthly water bills sent to more than 2,000 customers. It costs about $2,000 every month to send out the water bills, the release states.
READ: Former Kemah mayor indicted, accused of abuse of official capacity
“Wiggins knowingly and intentionally misused the funds and resources allocated to provide bills to WCID#12 residents and used them to include these letters in official governmental mailings that were paid for by the taxpayers,” the criminal complaint reads.
According to the release, last year, Wiggins was jailed and charged by the Galveston County District Attorney with a felony for abuse of official capacity. The Public Integrity Unit and the Texas Rangers brought his misdeeds to a grand jury, and he was indicted.
“Mr. Wiggins continues to use his positions of power to carry out personal vendettas against residents of Kemah and anyone else who tries to warn the public,” Wayne Dolcefino said. “While this sanction is proof of a public official’s wrongdoing, it is not a strong enough enforcement against someone who is known for skirting the rules.”