Complaint filed with the Texas Attorney General Open Government Division, May 8, 2026, via online submission.
OAG Reference: OR-26-024049-IC Governmental Body: Colorado County Sheriff’s Office Subject of Complaint: False “No Responsive Records” response to TPIA request for Lt. Holly Smith and Jailer Perla Flores personnel records
A complaint was filed with the Texas Attorney General’s Office of Open Government alleging that the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office issued a false “No Responsive Records” response to the April 23, 2026 TPIA request for personnel records of Lt. Holly Smith and Jailer Perla Flores — both of whom were directly involved in the January 19, 2026 use-of-force incident at the Colorado County Jail.
The complaint documented that TCOLE records confirm both individuals were employed at the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office, making the “no responsive records” claim facially false.
Supporting documents uploaded:
CCSO Complaint and supporting docs.pdf(attachment — not available for separate download)Gmail - TPIA Request - Personnel Reccords.pdf(attachment — not available for separate download)
Related document — CCSO No-Responsive-Records response being contested:
Complaint — Full Text #
I. Background #
On January 19, 2026, an incident occurred at the Colorado County Jail in Columbus, Texas, involving the use of force against inmate ████████████████. The incident is the subject of ongoing litigation. Two individuals directly involved in that incident were Lt. Holly Smith and Jailer Perla Flores, both employees of the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office.
II. Request Submitted #
On April 23, 2026, ██████████████████ submitted a Texas Public Information Act request to the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office requesting personnel records for Lt. Holly Smith and Jailer Perla Flores, including employment applications, background checks, training records, disciplinary records, and any TCOLE-related documentation.
III. Response Received #
The Colorado County Sheriff’s Office, through outside counsel Allison, Bass & Magee LLP, responded with a “No Responsive Documents” determination.
IV. Basis for Complaint #
TCOLE records independently confirm that both Lt. Holly Smith and Jailer Perla Flores were employed at the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office during the relevant period. The assertion that no responsive records exist is inconsistent with publicly available employment verification records and is facially false.
V. Relief Requested #
The requestor asks the Texas Attorney General to investigate the false “No Responsive Records” response and take appropriate action pursuant to Texas Government Code Chapter 552.
VI. Supporting Documentation #
TCOLE employment verification records for Lt. Holly Smith and Jailer Perla Flores are included with this complaint as supporting exhibits.
Correspondence #
Primary email correspondence for this record.
2026-05-08_011148_TPIA-Request---Criminal-responses.pdf— 2026-05-08 — Requestor