Bank subpoena given to Attorney General

Results of a Wells Fargo subpoena by the Bandera County Sheriff’s office are being turned over to the Texas Attorney General’s office, according to Bandera County Chief Deputy Matt King.

King says a meeting in the very near future has been set with representatives from the Texas Attorney General’s office, who will take over the case from there.

The subpoena was instigated by a complaint filed with the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office by Bandera Republican Party Chair Lynn Haueter, who says she was illegally removed from the GOP bank accounts by members of the county party’s Executive Committee, whom Haueter says were not authorized users on the involved accounts, one of which contained money from the Texas Secretary of State to pay election workers.

T h e Bulletin reached out the Texas Attorney General’s Office and to Wells Fargo, but did not hear back by press time.

Executive Committee member Conrad “Butch” Striegl, who is set to replace Haueter in June after running unopposed in March’s primary election, declined to comment on the latest developments, but he told the Bulletin in a statement published March 23 that Haueter was removed from the bank accounts after refusing to comply with the Executive Committee’s Articles of Censure instructions to turn over bank account control.

Multiple officials from the Texas Republican Party have said those Articles of Censure are groundless and unenforceable.

Striegl added in that March 23 quote a complete financial review was planned and a dual-signature requirement imposed. At the time of his statement’s publication, election workers had not been paid, but two days later, checks would go out in the mail.

A March 25 letter from the Bandera County Executive Committee submitted as an exhibit in Haueter’s plea against the Executive Committee’s restraining order was sent to election workers along with a check signed by Striegl and fellow committee member Rene Leith.

“It is very important that everyone deposit or cash your check very promptly, as Wells Fargo has elected to terminate their relationship with the Bandera County Republican Party, and they will be closing our accounts on April 22nd,” read one paragraph of the letter.

There were 26 election workers in total, and the Bulletin spoke with two of them who received checks.

Bob Haueter said he received a check despite volunteering for the position. Becky Lay, who is also the Chairman of the Bandera County Republican Party Election Integrity Committee, said she received a check but threw it away because she volunteered as well.

Striegl declined to comment on the matter.