A newly elected Texas state representative has been booked into the Bexar County jail after turning herself in over a charge of domestic family violence from a 2012 incident. She promptly bonded out after the booking process.
State Representative Laura Thompson (I-San Antonio) was elected just a few months ago to fill the unexpired term of Democrat State Rep Ruth Jones McLendon who resigned her House District 120 seat in January. Having won her runoff race in the special election by a margin of 50 votes, Thompson faces the voters again as early voting begins on Monday.
Thompson surrendered to authorities in Bexar County on Thursday on an old warrant for a 2012 Class A misdemeanor charge of assault with bodily injury to a family member, the San Antonio Express-News reported on Friday. A warrant was issued in 2013 but was never executed.
;San Antonoio’s ABC affiliate, KSAT, reported Friday that the warrant was issues after Thompson allegedly scratched a family member and then punched her in the chest and nect. The arguement allegedly ensued over a late paycheck. Thompson’s campaign spokesman told the local news station reporter Thompson turned herself in after she learned she was about to be arrested.
Thompson lashed out against her accuser in a written statement:
The individual who filed this complaint in 2012, is the same individual who perjured herself on the stand in the disputed ballot process. The democrats tried to use this individual to remove me from the ballot. It’s ironic that three weeks before the election this warrant would be made active after four years of me not knowing there had been one. I have always done my best to support my family financially and emotionally and it is a shame that politics would divide a family. I will be exonerated of this charge. This individual making the charge has proven herself to be untrustworthy, as noted when she perjured herself on the stand in Austin.
The recently elected state rep was booked Thursday morning and bonded out about an hour later, court records revealed.
Thompson’s attorney, Kenneth Bell, issued the following statement on behalf of Thompson:
Bell and White will be representing Representative Laura Thompson in the 2012 Assault Case. Representative Thompson recently became aware of the charge concerning the allegations and categorically denies that her actions predicate any guilt on her part. Representative Thompson is confident that her innocence will be proven as the matter progresses in our justice system. Representative Thompson asks for no special treatment, or favors, based on her position and does not expect to be treated any more leniently, nor more harshly, than any other citizen. We look forward to addressing this issue in Court.
Thompson was already predicted to have trouble holding on to the seat she surprisingly won in the Democrat stronghold of northeast San Antonio. Shortly after her election in August, the Texas Tribune penned an article titled “An Independent in the Texas Legislature? Not for Long.”
She was the first “independent” elected to serve in the Texas House since Howard Green was elected in Fort Worth in 1958. He ended up serving five terms and left office in 1966, the Texas Tribune reported. Green was initially elected as a Democrat in 1956 but dropped the party affiliation in the 56th Legislative Session (1959-61) where he served as an independent representative.
Details on the 2012 domestic violence charge are not yet known. It is also not clear why the 2013 warrant was never executed.
Early voting for the Texas general election begins on Monday and Thompson is being challenged on the ballot by Democrat nominee Barbara Gervin-Hawkins. The August special election drew little attention with only 1.4 percent of the 95,000 registered voters participating. Only 188 votes were actually cast on Election Day. Thompson defeated Democrat Lou Miller by a razor thin margin of fifty votes. This election promises to bring out many more voters.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
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