Domino mayor arrested

City of Domino Mayor Al Campbell was arrested Nov. 18 for alleged Abuse of Official Capacity and Unlawful Use of Funds for Political Advertising.

An investigation of a politically charged newsletter authored by Campbell and mailed to the city’s water customers in early September was initiated by the Cass County District Attorney’s Office and facilitated by the Texas Department of Public Safety-Texas Rangers.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on or about Sept. 10, 2020, an investigation of Campbell began upon the request of the Cass County District Attorney’s Office.

The Cass County District Attorney’s Office received information that Campbell mailed a letter to the citizens of Domino who receive a city water bill. The letter contained language depicting United States President Donald Trump negatively, opposing his reelection and encouraging the citizens to vote.

Investigators reviewed the letter provided by a private citizen, which had the name “Mayor Al Campbell” on the header of the document. The letter also had a watermark which appeared to be a “City of Domino” seal in the center of the document.

The body of the document made several negative comments about President Trump which were political in nature--opposing President Trump’s re-election and requesting people to vote.

Further, a store manager provided investigators with an unopened stamped envelope addressed to the store with a return address to the City of Domino. The envelope was opened in the investigator’s presence, and it was determined that the same letter had already been reviewed.

According to the affidavit, Mayor Campbell told investigators that he wrote the letter and that the newsletters were mailed with the city water bills but did not cost the city any extra money due to the water bills being mailed as “normal.”

Campbell confirmed that the envelopes and postage were used from the City of Domino City Hall Office.

The Journal-Sun reported the incident in September after a resident of Domino delivered the newsletter and questioned its legality.

The newsletter reads in part:

As most of you know, our current president has accepted the nomination for his party. He has done some strange and unusual things over the last four years. He has imprisoned children and other immigrants who were seeking asylum in the U.S. His policies led to the death of some of these people who were only seeking a better life. We did not know who the president was until he revealed himself over the last 4 years, I don’t believe that we can absorb another 4 years of his neglect and abuse. He has abused women, had a couple of different affairs on his current wife and denied them. The bible says that the devil is the father of lies. Our president may not be the devil, but he has spawned enough lies to qualify him to be a direct descendant of the aforementioned evil spirit.

The newsletter was posted to Facebook and several began questioning the mayor’s ability to deliver such rhetoric with city funds.

“He used your tax dollars to produce that several times and pay the postage”, one poster on Facebook said.

Another poster said, “He has no business doing this especially considering the position he holds…”

In support of Campbell, one poster wrote, “Nothing wrong with the mayor expressing his beliefs to his citizens! You can agree or disagree, but this is supposed to be a “free” country, which means he should be able to speak “freely”. Just my opinion.”

Cass County District Attorney Courtney Shelton responded to an email inquiry in September that she would be referring the matter out for investigation.

Campbell was released the same day of his arrest on a personal recognizance bond.

If found guilty, Campbell faces a maximum of 180 days in county jail, a maximum fine of $2000 or both for Abuse of Official Capacity—a Class B Misdemeanor.

For the Unlawful Use of Funds for Political Advertising, a Class A misdemeanor, Campbell could face a maximum of 365 days in county jail, a maximum fine of $4000 or both.

In 2014, Campbell was sued for the unlawful termination of two employees. According to the complaint, Campbell allegedly engaged in the unlawful use of city funds, including making payments to himself and fired the employees to conceal the wrongdoing.

In 2013, deputies from the Cass County Sheriff ’s Office secured the city hall in Domino after an altercation took place between Campbell and members of the city’s government, former employees and citizens.

Accusations against Campbell included misuse of city funds, bribery and retaliation.