AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A top political aide to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has been arrested after accusations that he stole money from investors looking to join the state’s new hemp industry.
Court records show Todd Smith is charged with third-degree felony theft.
Smith is a longtime political aide to Miller, whose department issues licenses to grow hemp, which became legal in Texas in 2019.
Smith is accused of taking money from prospective hemp producers who thought they were securing a license.
He was released from an Austin jail Friday and did not return messages seeking comment.
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