Jason Corley’s attorney filed a brief this week outlining his legal argument as to why he remains County Commissioner for Precinct 2 – southeast Lubbock County. Mark Meurer took the oath office to replace Corley Monday, just minutes before a Commissioners Court meeting.
County Judge Curtis Parrish claimed Corley resigned his seat by making himself a “candidate in fact” for Congress more than one year and 30 days before his term ends as commissioner. Corley announced an exploratory committee in mid-November. Both sides agree that’s well within Corley’s rights. But Parrish argued Corley also distributed “Corley for Congress” logos in an email to the news media – and made other statements which put him in the race.
A written statement released just before the oath of office said, “I, Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish, by the authority granted to me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas, do hereby announce that the office of Lubbock County Commissioner Precinct 2 is vacant by the automatic resignation of Jason Corley under the provisions of the Texas Constitution and the Texas Election Code.”…