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Matagorda County

OAG Complaint: Matagorda County Failure to Respond — §552.3215 — May 24, 2026

May 24, 2026 3 min read

Filed with the Texas Attorney General, Open Government Division, May 24, 2026, concurrent with demand letter to Matagorda County.

TO: Texas Attorney General — Open Government Division P.O. Box 12548, Austin, TX 78711-2548 open.government@oag.texas.gov

FROM: ████████████████████████████ DATE: May 24, 2026

RE: Open Government Complaint — Matagorda County — Failure to Respond to TPIA Request

Complaint #

This complaint is submitted against Matagorda County for failure to respond to a Texas Public Information Act request within the statutory period, in violation of Tex. Gov’t Code §552.228.

Facts #

1. The Request

On May 2, 2026, a written Texas Public Information Act request was submitted via email to rdeleon@co.matagorda.tx.us, the Matagorda County open records contact. The request sought the following records relating to Faith Marie Bannert, a former Jailer employed at Matagorda County from approximately December 6, 2023 through March 19, 2024 under a Temporary Jailer License:

  • All personnel records, including employment application, background check, and separation documentation
  • Any complaints, grievances, or disciplinary records during her employment
  • Any internal investigation records involving Faith Marie Bannert
  • Records relating to her Temporary Jailer License and any TCOLE documentation
  • Records related to her departure, termination, resignation, or non-renewal

2. The Statutory Deadline

Under Tex. Gov’t Code §552.228(a), Matagorda County was required to respond — by either producing records, providing written notification of claimed exceptions with a simultaneous request for an AG opinion under §552.301, or seeking an extension of time — by no later than May 15, 2026 (ten business days from May 2, 2026).

3. The Violation

As of May 24, 2026, Matagorda County has provided no response of any kind. The County has:

  • Not produced any responsive records
  • Not provided written notice claiming any exception
  • Not requested an Attorney General opinion under §552.301
  • Not requested any extension of time
  • Not acknowledged receipt of the request

This constitutes a violation of Tex. Gov’t Code §552.228. Under §552.302, a governmental body that fails to timely seek an AG opinion has waived most exceptions and the records are presumed subject to disclosure. Under §552.3215, the Attorney General may impose a civil penalty for each violation.

4. The Public Interest

Faith Marie Bannert was a Temporary Jailer at the Matagorda County facility whose prior employment history is directly relevant to a federal civil rights investigation into her subsequent employment at the Colorado County Jail, where she was present on January 19, 2026, during a use-of-force incident. The records requested from Matagorda County are part of a broader pattern-of-conduct investigation. Matagorda County’s failure to respond has delayed documentation of matters in which the public has a compelling accountability interest.

Relief Requested #

  1. Contact Matagorda County and demand immediate compliance with the May 2, 2026 request
  2. Investigate the failure to respond and impose civil penalties under §552.3215 as warranted
  3. If Matagorda County now seeks to invoke a statutory exception, treat the failure to timely seek an AG opinion under §552.301 as a waiver of most exceptions pursuant to §552.302
  4. Document this violation in the Office’s records for purposes of any pattern-of-noncompliance determination

Supporting Documentation #

  1. Copy of TPIA request submitted May 2, 2026 (email to rdeleon@co.matagorda.tx.us)
  2. Copy of demand letter to Matagorda County dated May 24, 2026

Respectfully submitted,

██████████████████ 103 Irwin Dr., Columbus, TX 78934 ████████████████████████████ ████████████████

Correspondence #

Primary email correspondence for this record.

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