Wow.
Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole has submitted his resignation, county officials said, effective Oct. 1.
Representatives in Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s office confirmed Eversole submitted his resignation shortly after 2 p.m. today.
Eversole represents about 1 million constituents in north and northeast Harris County, a post he has held since 1991.
A mistrial was declared in the commissioner’s corruption trial earlier this year. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the second round of that trial in late October.
It’s hard to look at the timing of this and not think that there’s a shoe somewhere about to drop. Why that would happen for the retrial and not for the original I couldn’t say. And hey, I could be wrong about this. Maybe he just got tired of it all and wanted to retire to his ranch. Still, given how obnoxious Eversole acted while defending the Commissioners Court map that protected him from the voters, this sure does feel like it came from left field. What do you think?
Oh, and on a side note, Judge Ed Emmett gets to select Eversole’s replacement, as I learned a few months ago. The line to become Judge Emmett’s new bestest buddy forms to the left.
UPDATE: Ted Oberg fills in a few blanks.
It looks like the resignation may be connected to a plea deal in the criminal case. New indictments today drop bribery charges against Eversole, leaving only one count of lying to the FBI remaining. A new indictment against Surface accuses him only of lying on a tax return. Both indictments are still felonies.
[…]
Eversole said for a long time he had no interest in resigning and planned to fight. But campaign records show Eversole’s ability to pay for what had become a very pricy legal defense was pretty limited.
Eversole was using campaign funds, legal under Texas law, but after spending more than a million dollars on legal fees, Eversole had just $50,000 left to spend, according to his last report. The math was not in his favor.
So there you have it. Via PDiddie.
About time he left. He’s been an arrogant pain for years, from the time he sent me a letter telling me he didn’t care what the law was, the 20mph stretch of Cypresswood wasn’t going to change.
Honestly, it’s time for the roles of county commissioners to change, so that the ability to control a feudal domain via road building and contract giving is over.
About damn time. Funny, he once appointed me election judge while I was working for his opponent. It doesn’t speak well for the electorate that he could stay in office for twenty years. Now, how about Radack? Problem we have with these politicians is that none of their crimes seem to be illegal.
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