Category: Government

    The Collapsing House of Cards

    September 13, 2024 by Blog Poster in /

    NO-BILL, NO CHARGES, NO CASE

    Former Visit Bastrop CEO Susan Smith was “no-billed” by the grand jury this week and the DA affirmed that no case was even brought against Lyle Nelson.

    In a letter to Mayor Nelson’s attorney dated September 12, 2024, Greg Gilleland, First Assistant District Attorney of Bastrop County, stated “Ms. Susan Smith was NO BILLED by a Bastrop County Grand Jury on or about September 10th, 2024. There are, specifically, no cases in our office regarding your client Lyle Nelson.” (emphasis added)

    ALL FOUR FLOORS OF THE HOUSE OF CARDS COLLAPSE

    The investigation consisted of 4 parts which were defined by the Bastrop City Manager, as directed by the City Council. The investigation results below are the first floor in the House of Cards.

    1. “Assess any knowledge the Mayor held regarding misuse of public funds.” The report said, “The Mayor denied any knowledge of misuse of public funds, and my investigation to date uncovered no evidence otherwise.”
    2. Did the Mayor share confidential or legally privileged information with the CEO? The report said: “There is no evidence to date that Mayor Nelson shared any other confidential or legally privileged information with Smith.”
    3. “Did the Mayor participate in discussions regarding Visit Bastrop where he had a non-disclosed conflict of interest?” The report said:  “Therefore, there is no discussion in which the Mayor participated in where he had Conflicting Interest, as that term is defined in the Code of Ethics.”

    The fourth part was a highly improper inquiry by a governmental body. The City of Bastrop had no business spending public funds on such an investigation violating the privacy rights of Mayor Nelson and Ms. Smith. Mayor Nelson refused to waive his right of privacy by turning over his private texts. That totally justified refusal, was warped into the next floor in the House of Cards, an Ethics Complaint made by the City Council itself to the Ethics Commission the City Council appoints.

    No evidence ever existed that Mayor Nelson engaged in any such behavior about any legitimate and legal part of the Glaser Investigation. And tellingly, no one conducting the criminal investigation into the use of the Visit Bastrop funds ever needed or subpoenaed those private text messages in order to determine if public funds were embezzled or misused.

    The next floor of the House of Cards consisted of a reprimand by the City Council-appointed Ethics Commission.

    Then the same Council Members leading the charge for the Glaser Investigation, then the Ethics Complaint, then added the last floor of the House of Cards by circulating a Recall Petition accusing Mayor Nelson of “interfering in an investigation into misuse of public funds by his girlfriend.”

    TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK FOR $137,070.40 AND COUNTING

    Attorney Bill Aleshire opined “It is time for transparency, particularly with the requested records and correspondence between the City Manager and Visit Bastrop, to show the House of Cards was built on false assumptions despite costing taxpayers over $137,070.40 for the audit, investigation, and attorney fees.”

    Stop the Witch Hunt and Return to Business

    August 28, 2024 by Blog Poster in / /

    Councilwoman Cheryl Lee very eloquently spoke about ending the witch hunt, stopping the drain on City resources both in personnel and in taxpayer dollars, and getting back to business. She urged the three Council people behind the recall to let it go. This video includes the response of Councilwoman Cynthia Meyer who is apparently happy to spend $140,000 (so far) in retaliation for false accusations against Mayor Nelson.

    Council refuses to allow Mayor to Emcee event

    August 28, 2024 by Blog Poster in / /

    The City Council, led by those who decided the Ethics Commission reprimand was not sufficient, stripped Mayor Nelson of the few powers he has. (The City of Bastrop is a weak mayor form of government.) One of those powers was representing the City at various events. They denied him doing so without their permission. Mayor Nelson explains why he won’t be the emcee for the November Farm Street Opry.

    Statement from Mayor Nelson

    August 14, 2024 by Blog Poster in / /

    Council Meeting, August 13, 2024

    Lyle Nelson - Circular PhotoThroughout the drama of the call for my removal as Mayor, I always knew what the facts were. I made a personal and private mistake that was revealed in a very public and humiliating way, affecting not only me but my wife. I took responsibility and apologized for my actions as well as sought forgiveness from God, family and friends. However, some people, including some on this Council, continue to try to wrongfully connect my private indiscretion to a misuse of public funds and alleged criminal conduct.

    Let’s be clear, once the investigations and thorough audits were completed—even though, by then, I had already been punished with an unjustified ethics reprimand—there was no evidence that I committed any crime, nor any evidence I caused or condoned any public funds to be improperly spent. All I did was resist an unlawful invasion into my constitutional right of privacy. That is why I have fought these unwarranted malicious attacks on me, on my right of privacy, and on the Office of the Mayor. There has been in excess of $137,000 of public funds spent on investigations, audits, and legal fees on embarrassing and attacking me. For perspective, that is an amount of money roughly equivalent to our entire Community Partners budget. Should this infighting continue, more City resources, money and time, will be expended. I’m extending my hand, and humbly asking that this stop.

    Regardless of whether the signers of the recall petition were misled or intimidated into signing the Petition, I do recognize that over 1600 signatures were gathered. That has my attention, and I have some work to do to restore their faith. That said, it is time for all of us on the Council to “reach across the aisle” and strive for the better and more productive work this Council can do. We, as a Body, need to quit burdening our staff, administrative and legal, with work that does not move our City forward in a more productive manner.

    To my colleagues, I am asking for your assistance to cease these recall efforts now that the truth is known that I have not committed any unlawful acts or done anything deserving of removal from office. If you will stop the attacks, I will gladly end my plans to fight back, in court if necessary, to hold all those accountable who have gone over the line of free speech and have defamed me, maliciously. We, as the legislative body and titular heads of this great City, can, instead, focus on matters of real interest to our constituents and serve them in a more productive manner if we, here and now, start working better together anew. I humbly and sincerely ask you to join me.