Texas regulators assessed a $100,000 civil penalty against Texas Criminal Court Presiding Judge Sharon Keller on April 28 for failing to disclose nearly $3 million in real estate, as well as $183,000 in income from 17 different sources. The fine against Texas’ top criminal judge was the largest ever levied by the Texas Ethics Commission. Judge’s Keller’s disclosure lapses occurred in legally required personal financial statements that she filed with the Ethics Commission in 2007 and 2008. State law requires public officials to make the disclosures as a disinfectant against potential conflicts of interest. Texans for Public Justice filed the Keller complaint with the Commission in March, 2009.
TPJ's March 2009 complaint can be found here.