HOUSTON — Dr. Matthews is calling on elected officials who have publicly associated with or financially supported convicted felon Aubrey Taylor to explain what due diligence they conducted before hiring, promoting or paying him.
In a public statement released Tuesday, Dr. Matthews announced that her organization has begun contacting elected officials, including Harris County District Judge Dedra Davis, Harris County District Judge Damiane “Dianne” Curvey, Harris County Justice of the Peace Melanie Miles and others who have publicly associated with or provided financial support to Taylor.
Dr. Matthews said the effort is intended to determine whether elected officials were aware of Taylor’s criminal history before providing financial support or publicly aligning themselves with him.
“If you were aware, the public deserves an explanation,” Dr. Matthews said in the statement. “If you were not aware, the public deserves to know what level of due diligence was performed before taxpayer-funded officials chose to associate with him.”
Dr. Matthews also said she has filed a criminal complaint alleging Taylor unlawfully possessed or wore body armor despite his criminal history. She said the complaint has been submitted to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for review. No charging decision has been announced.
The statement also references comments made by former Harris County District Clerk and current Republican candidate Chris Daniel, who responded to an email interview with Houston Stringer stating that he paid Taylor for advertising but did not receive the advertising he expected. Dr. Matthews said those comments underscore the importance of campaigns carefully vetting individuals they choose to hire or financially support.
As part of the initiative, Dr. Matthews said elected officials are being asked whether they were aware of publicly available court records involving Taylor before choosing to support or compensate him. Additional questions ask whether officials reviewed publicly filed protective order proceedings, child support enforcement proceedings or other publicly available court filings before making those decisions.
Dr. Matthews said the questions are intended to determine whether appropriate due diligence was conducted before public officials chose to associate with or financially support Taylor and are not conclusions about the merits of any court filing or legal proceeding.
Dr. Matthews also said her organization’s accountability board is documenting elected officials, political organizations, political action committees, campaign consultants and candidates who have publicly associated with or financially supported Taylor. She said each will be contacted and given an opportunity to answer the questions directly.
Dr. Matthews said the initiative is not about political party affiliation, but about transparency and accountability. She said Democrats, Republicans and Independents should all be held to the same standard and that voters deserve to know whether public officials exercised appropriate due diligence before paying or publicly supporting individuals connected to their campaigns.
Houston Stringer’s Editorial Team is working to contact elected officials, candidates, political organizations and campaign consultants who have publicly associated with or financially supported Aubrey Taylor. Those individuals should check their inboxes for a request for comment. Politicians who have employed the services of Aubrey Taylor and would like to respond before publication of future stories may also contact the Houston Stringer Editorial Team at editorial@houstonstringer.com.
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