As early voting remains underway for the Liberty mayoral election, questions have surfaced regarding candidate Tommy Brents following his mention in court documents tied to the criminal case against former Liberty County Housing Authority Director Klint Bush.
According to a Notice of Intention to Use Evidence of Prior Convictions and Extraneous Offenses filed in Bush’s case, Bush allegedly approached Brents on or about Oct. 21, 2021, knowing he was experiencing financial difficulty. The filing states that Bush asked Brents to provide an invoice, and Brents complied through his company, Cypritech, submitting a $2,000 invoice for “IT consulting.” The document further alleges that no work was performed for the Liberty County Housing Authority or Liberty County Housing Inc. to justify the payment.
Bluebonnet News contacted Brents for clarification regarding the transaction.
Brents said he was unaware at the time that any Housing Authority funds were used to pay the invoice. He said he believed the payment came directly from Bush as part of a common business arrangement.
“He had me send the invoice to him personally, to his name, to his home,” Brents said. “That’s why I had every reason to believe this was a legitimate transaction.”
Brents said he viewed the $2,000 as a retainer for IT services that had not yet been defined, adding that he had intended to perform work for Bush, but the work was never carried out after Bush was indicted and arrested.
He said his professional relationship with Bush dates back several years, including work performed for Bush’s previous business, at his home, and at times related to county election equipment.
“Klint Bush has personally been a customer of mine since around 2012,” Brents said. “We have a long-standing relationship.”
Brents said it was not until after Bush’s arrest, when he read a Bluebonnet News article detailing allegations involving technology-related expenditures, that he became concerned about the transaction.
“When he was indicted and I saw some of the things about spending money on technology, it made me think I needed to take a closer look,” Brents said.
He said he then contacted Texas Ranger Josh Benson, who is involved in the investigation, and voluntarily provided information about the payment.
“I wanted to make sure everything was transparent and open,” Brents said. “I understood this might negatively impact someone I had done business with, but I felt like it was the right thing to do.”
Brents said he still does not believe he did anything improper.
“I’ve not done anything illegal. I am just trying to be faithful and honest and go about my business,” he said, adding that he feels he was misled by someone he trusted.
He acknowledged that the situation may raise concerns among voters but said he does not believe it should be used as a political issue in the mayoral race.
When asked whether he has repaid the $2,000 to the Housing Authority, Brents said he has not.
Brents said he is available to speak with residents who have questions and noted that he has been working at the polls at the Hartel Building in Liberty during early voting.
Bush is scheduled to go to trial May 18. The mayoral race will be decided this Saturday, May 2.
Tommy is legit … where did this nonsense really start ? Find the source ,who asked about this and is looking for dirt.