2024 Presser HCDP Updegrove Complaint

“WILL THE REAL ROBERT UPDEGROVE—CANDIDATE FOR HAYS COUNTY COURT AT LAW #3 PLEASE STAND UP”

Hays Democratic County Chair Files Formal Complaint

(San Marcos, Texas)  The Hays County Democratic Party Chairman, John Hatch, has filed a Complaint with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct against Robert Elwood Updegrove, also known as “Wood” Updegrove, Judicial Candidate for Hays County Court-at-Law #3. 

“It’s important that the identity of anyone running for Judge in Hays County be clear and transparent.  “Wood Updegrove clearly does not feel the same” noted John Hatch, Hays County Democratic Chair.  “It isn’t an issue for Wood Updegrove to have a similar name as his father, Robert Earl Updegrove, but to purposely confuse voters into believing the candidate on the ballot IS his father, who formerly served 12 years as a Hays County Court-at-Law Judge, and not Wood Updegrove, who barely has 4 years of experience as a lawyer, is neither transparent nor trustworthy. I would encourage Wood Updegrove to come clean and run his own campaign, but it appears he may not even be eligible to run in the first place since he is not a resident of Hays County, as he and his family actually reside in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas.”

How Wood Updegrove is trying to confuse voters into believing it’s his father and not him running for Hays County Court at Law #3… and how he’s not running a serious campaign for public office, is apparent based upon the following:

Using the same name and other information as his father on Campaign Finance reports- Even the Hays County Elections office was confused, they combined both the father’s and son’s campaign finance reports in the same folder, not realizing they were two different people.  

He doesn’t use his middle name, which would ensure that no one confuses who’s really running- His campaign treasurer designation form uses Robert E. Updegrove, as does his two campaign finance filings, showing no contributions from third parties.  What name and address did he use on his campaign filing form with the Hays County Republican Party?

Even as late as July 24, 2024, the Hays County Republican Party website redirected anyone looking up the candidate to the old campaign website of his father, who is not running for office.

Using the same Treasurer as his father.

After 6 months of running for a Countywide office, Wood Updegrove hasn’t raised a single dollar in campaign funds. (So can we expect Wood Updegrove to see $20,000 that was left over from his father’s 2022 campaign magically appear in his campaign coffers later this fall?)

Wood Updegrove claims his voter registration address is the same as his father’s residence address- So does Wood Updegrove and his family all live in his father’s house, because Wood Updegrove’s wife and other immediate family members appear to be residing in a condominium in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas?

Even his campaign signs are his father’s– His father’s old campaign signs are being reused by replacing the #1 with #3, and using the same campaign slogan used in the father’s 2022 campaign. 

Public Events could clarify just who is the candidate- Maybe we could figure out who is running by seeing who shows up at campaign and community events—nope, Wood Updegrove didn’t show up at the Hays County Law Enforcement Association Forum in May, or any other events that would identify him as the candidate. 

A search of the Internet doesn’t clarify who is the candidate- Maybe one could find the qualifications of and whether Wood Updegrove is the candidate by looking on his Law Office website, but nope, it’s still under construction. 

“On behalf of the voters of Hays County, will the real Robert E. Updegrove, candidate for Hays County Court at Law #3, please stand up and share with the voters why you should be elected to this position.  The people of Hays County deserve nothing less,” commented Chairman Hatch.

The Complaint alleges that Robert Elwood Updegrove a.k.a Robert E. Updegrove a.k.a. “Wood” Updegrove, a licensed Texas attorney, Texas State Bar #24117491, and Republican Candidate for the judgeship of Hays County Court-at-Law #3 in the upcoming November general election has intentionally, knowingly and/or recklessly engaged in courses of conduct to confuse and deceive the voters of Hays County, Texas by obfuscating the identity of the current Republican Party candidate for the judgeship of  Hays County Court-at-Law #3, in violation of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, the Texas Elections Code and the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. In addition, the Complaint alleges that Wood Updegrove is disqualified from being a candidate for the judgeship of Hays County Court-at-Law #3 under Texas Government Code § 25.0014, because he has not been a resident of Hays County for at least two (2) years before the upcoming election, due to the fact that he is and has been a resident of Guadalupe County for more than the past two (2) years.

For further information regarding the above-referenced Complaint, please refer to the Sworn Complaint filed with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct attached hereto.

Press Release (pdf)

Complaint Document (pdf)

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Kent Willis
Kent.willis@me.com
512-663-6321

Posted on 08 Aug 2024, 13:23 - Category: County News