FORT BEND COUNTY – On Friday, KP George was suspended during a brief hearing in the 400th District Court.
George was not present for the proceedings, which were presided over by Judge Jeth Jones. The case was filed by Fort Bend County resident Sarah Roberts prior to George’s March 20 felony conviction for money laundering.
Immediately following the suspension, Jones appointed Republican nominee Daniel Wong to fill the role. The decision was made at the judge’s discretion.
“Judge Jones was guided by two factors. First, KP. George is now a Republican, in which case it is natural to replace him with a Republican rather than a Democrat. And then second, Judge Jones is a Republican himself, having been elected in Galveston County,” Mark Jones said.
Daniel Wong released a statement saying:
“I look forward to bringing Fort Bend County out of the cloud of corruption put on us by Democrat KP George and into a shining new era of hope, optimism, and results. As County Judge, my focus is and will always be on the people of Fort Bend County.”
But not everyone is on board with how this played out. Democratic candidate Dexter McCoy who is set to face Wong in November is now pushing back.
“Mr. Wong never managed a multi-billion dollar budget or guided our community through a natural disaster. Today, Judge Jones abandoned judicial independence and chose to put his thumb on the scale of our elections by blatantly selecting his own partisan candidate for the office.”
Political experts say the appointment could have an impact on the race moving forward.
“Instead of competing on equal terms as both non-incumbents, Wong will be the interim, which will give him a little more publicity, a little more name recognition, and a little more in the way of resources as he attempts to defeat Dexter McCoy, the most likely Democratic nominee,” Mark Jones said.
Wong will be sworn into office on Monday.
George still faces additional legal trouble. He is scheduled to go to trial on a misdemeanor charge of misrepresentation of identity tied to an alleged social media hoax campaign on May 5.
According to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, this marks the first time in the modern era that a sitting county judge in the county has been suspended.
George had been set to serve until 2027 after losing the primary election in March.
KPRC 2 has reached out to George’s team for comment.