Ag Commissioner Sid Miller rehires top aide who pleaded guilty to bribery

AUSTIN – Todd Smith — who last year pleaded guilty to felony bribery charges — is now the chief of staff for Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller after the commissioner rehired his longtime aide last week, Miller confirmed, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Smith started his job Jan. 14 in the Texas Department of Agriculture. In October, he pleaded guilty to one count of commercial bribery, a state jail felony, stemming from accusations he took tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for hemp licenses issued by Miller’s agency, court records show. As part of the deal, Smith was granted two years of deferred adjudication, meaning the case can be dismissed after two years of probation. He also was ordered to pay $10,000 restitution.

On Wednesday, Miller told the American-Statesman he had no hesitations about rehiring Smith. “One of the best hires I’ve made,” Miller said. Smith was arrested in April 2021 after a Texas Rangers investigation suggested he sought thousands of dollars from Texas farmers and entrepreneurs in exchange for “guaranteed” hemp licenses, according to a warrant. He reportedly solicited $150,000 from several applicants. A hemp license is capped at $100 under state law. Miller said he has known Smith for 25 years, dating back to the commissioner’s first political campaign. “He’s a man of integrity, a true believer, a true conservative Christian,” Miller said. Miller said the charges were politically motivated and that the charges were an attack on his office by a “weaponized” judicial system.