Travis County DA José Garza Sues to Shield Security Funding Details Amid Transparency Debate

Travis County District Attorney José Garza has taken legal action to prevent the sharing of details regarding his taxpayer-funded security allotment, as reported by

KVUE

. The controversy centers around an undisclosed $115,000 security enhancement that Garza received earlier this year. AG Ken Paxton ruled that some records of the transaction should to be made public. Garza’s lawsuit counters this decision, claiming the release of this information could pose a “substantial threat of physical harm,” as per

Austin American-Statesman report

. The specifics of the lawsuit are currently not widely understood, as they hinge on the finer points of Texas law and the balance between transparency and individual safety.

There is an ongoing debate on whether the actions of the Travis County commissioners, who approved Garza’s funding, were taken with adequate transparency. Critics argue that the decision happened out of the public eye, potentially violating the Texas Open Meetings Act.

KVUE’s

uncovering of the funds allocated for home security enhancements has sparked discussions on the use of taxpayer money and the commissioners’ voting practices. Former Judge Bill Aleshire criticized the commissioners for their retrospective transparency,

stating

“They’ve gone back and done what they should have done in the first place, is give proper public notice they are doing to consider these kinds of issues.”

The suit contends that the information is confidential under Texas law and argues that its release would infringe upon Garza’s “common law right to safety,” as outlined in the eight-page legal document retrieved by the

Austin American-Statesman

. Garza declined to comment through his spokesperson, and Auditor Patti Smith has not responded to inquiries regarding the matter. The situation escalates the ongoing battle over political transparency in Texas, as government officials grapple with the dichotomy of privacy rights and public accountability.

Part of the controversy includes Garza’s private request to the commissioners, for what some deemed insufficiently transparent security measures for his home. There has been an increasing number of threats to other county officials, but Garza remains the only known local official to receive such a prolonged and substantial level of taxpayer-funded security. Dispatch records show deputy constables guarding Garza’s residence almost every night since February, but “The KVUE Defenders could not find another example of another local official receiving this type of taxpayer-funded security for this long of a period based on a perceived threat,” according to

KVUE

.

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