Fort Bend County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson says a proposal to strip attorneys, staff and funding from her office is an unprecedented act of political retaliation by county leaders after she challenged Daniel Wong’s authority to serve as county judge.
The proposal, set for an Aug. 27 vote by Commissioners Court, would create a civil legal department controlled by the court and allow staff and funding to be moved from Smith-Lawson’s independently elected office. The fight raises a larger question about the balance of power in county government: how far Commissioners Court can go in shifting legal work away from an elected county attorney whose advice it no longer trusts.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, who placed the item on the agenda in consultation with Wong’s office, said the proposal is not retaliation and that Smith-Lawson would retain the duties assigned to her office under state law…