RICHMOND, TX (Covering Katy News) – Fort Bend County Judge KP George's defense attorneys have filed a recusal motion to transfer his money laundering case to a judge in a different court or a judge from a different county. The legal team argues George cannot receive a fair trial under 458th District Court Judge Maggie Jaramillo in Fort Bend County, citing potential conflicts of interest in the high-profile case.
During Monday's court hearing in Richmond, George's attorneys formally requested a new judge a different court or perhaps a judge from outside Fort Bend County to oversee the criminal proceedings.
George has maintained his innocence in the money laundering case, explaining that he loaned personal funds to his campaign and later repaid the loan.
"This is a standard and lawful practice," George argues.
The indicted Fort Bend County Judge and the District attorney are both Democrats. George says the criminal charges against him are politically motivated, and his attorney Jared Woodfil argues that the felony charges against him did not happen until the county judge began voting with Republican members of the Commissioners Court on some key issues. Should George be convicted of a felony he'd be required by law to step down.
The alleged money laundering offenses involve amounts exceeding $30,000 but less than $150,000, between January 12, 2019 and April 22, 2019.
George, 61, assumed his role as county judge on January 1 of that year.
District Attorney Response and Legal Strategy
Wes Wittig, Fort Bend County assistant district attorney, noted that recusal requests are routine legal strategy in high-profile criminal cases.
"That's a lawyer's job to do those things, so I'm not surprised at all that they filed," Wittig told the Houston Chronicle. "Whether it has merit and whether it will be successful, we'll wait and see what the courts do."
However, Woodfill sharply criticized the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office, arguing that the Texas Ethics Commission should handle George's case rather than the district attorney.
The Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office maintains confidence in its prosecution. Wittig said they don't believe George has sufficient evidence for recusal in the money laundering case.
"No one's more invested in solving crimes and holding people accountable in Fort Bend other than the people of Fort Bend," Wittig told the Houston Chronicle. "We believe everything's proper here."
George's History of Legal Controversies
The Fort Bend County Judge, already a controversial political figure in local politics, faces additional criminal charges stemming from alleged online impersonation during his 2022 re-election campaign. George was accused of collaborating with his former chief of staff, Taral Patel, to damage the reputation of Republican opponent Trever Nehls.
In a plea agreement with the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office on April 15, Patel admitted to committing online misrepresentation alongside George to influence the election outcome. District attorney documents allege that George operated under the Facebook persona "Antonio Scalywag" to "injure" Republican challenger Trever Nehls by posting racist and xenophobic messages about George himself, apparently designed to generate sympathy votes in the closely contested race.
George narrowly defeated Nehls with 51% of the vote in the competitive Fort Bend County Judge race.
Under Texas law, if convicted of a felony in the money laundering or wire fraud case, George would be required to vacate his position as Fort Bend County's top elected official.
Covering Katy owner Dennis Spellman is employed by the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner's Office.