Hank Gilbert Comes to Midland
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: September 28, 2010
The Democratic candidate for Texas Ag Commissioner was in Midland Tuesday, continuing his campaign.
Hank Gilbert has said he wants to do more to ensure food safety in the Lone Star Dtate. He says there recently was a situation in Eastland County where a peanut farmer used toxic chemicals to bait traps to stop hogs. But the poison also killed deer and other animals.
Gilbert says that the Eastland County judge wanted to tell the public, before deer season, that there might be a neurotoxin in the animals. But current Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples sent very detailed instructions on what the judge could and couldn't say.
"We're not certain the same thing hasn't happened in other areas of our state as well," Gilbert said. "We were just told about this particular case."
The Staples campaign has responded, calling Gilbert a "pathological political liar." While not commenting on this specific incident, the campaign said that Gilbert had a criminal conviction for theft, took a bribe, has unpaid taxes and more.
