Montgomery County Judge Denies Claims Of Using Equipment, Employees for 2012 Campaign

CONROE, TX -- Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal is under fire amid accusations that he directed a former staffer to to use county equipment for work on his 2012 campaign, while on and off the clock.

According to county documents, Melissa Goetz, whom Doyal hired in 2006, was terminated in March 2012 for using the equipment for duties related to Doyal’s re-election campaign.

The issue, which Doyal said was settled several years ago, resurfaced during a public comment period at the Nov. 23 commissioner’s court meeting when Woodlands attorney Eric Yollick confront Doyal.

Yollic indicated that as a county commissioner, Doyal created an atmosphere of leniency that led to the wrongful termination of Goetz.

“(The fact) a commissioner would permit such a situation to occur is reprehensible and reflects an attitude that the county property is there not to safeguard, but for the personal and political use of the commissioner," Yollick said during the meeting.

Doyal, who called the remarks politically motivated, said Montgomery County has toughened its policy in the use of county equipment as a result of that incident.

According to a Conroe Courier report, Goetz wrote a letter to Human resource Director Dodie Shaw.

In her letter, Goetz claimed she was wrongfully terminated and that Doyal directed her to perform certain duties related to his 2012 campaign.

"Personal direction from Craig Doyal regarding changes that needed to be made on his reports during work hours, request to create political program ads during work hours, requests to prepare and mail political checks during work hours, and requests to work on fundraisers during work hours led me to believe that not only were these activities approved by Craig Doyal, they were required of me as part of my regular duties," Goetz stated. "The time used to complete these activities was under his immediate direction."

According to the Texas Election Code, Section 255.03 states "an officer or employee of a political subdivision may not knowingly spend or authorize the spending of public funds for political advertising."

A violation of the section is a Class A misdemeanor.

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