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July 6, 2007

Former senator Nixon indicted

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office has announced former State Senator Drew Nixon, 47, has been indicted by grand jury in Panola County for “acts of official oppression” in a 2006 local election there.

The charges against Nixon stemmed from an investigation by the attorney general. The two- count indictment alleges Nixon attempted to impede two Panola County Fresh Water Supply District board candidates from appearing on the ballot.

Nixon was elected senator for the 3rd district in 1996, winning the closest senate election in the state that year. The win signaled a shift in the East Texas district from Democrat to Republican, as the GOP has held the district ever since. Nixon’s opponent, Jerry Johnson, carried Henderson County with 56.68 percent of the vote.

Nixon was sworn in January 1997, but soon ran into trouble with an arrest for illegally carrying a firearm.

Of the new charge, Abbott said, “ Texas will not tolerate illegal acts that undermine the integrity of the electoral process. Election officials have a duty to serve the public's interest, not their own. Voters can rest assured the Office of the Attorney General is committed to strictly enforcing election laws.”

According to Abbott’s office, while working as the water district’s paid accountant, Nixon simultaneously served as a self-appointed election administrator for the May 2006 board election. Nixon is charged with misleading two potential candidates, Dickie Jacks and Jon Kunkel, who planned to challenge incumbent board members.

Official oppression falls under the category of offenses known as “abuse of office” in the state's Penal Code. It is a Class A misdemeanor, which can result in a punishment of up to one year in prison and a maximum $4,000 fine, according to Abbott.

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e-mail rflowers@athensreview.com

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