Comal sheriff caught with campaign material

A local elected official has been found giving out campaign signs from his government office and chatting with supporters on Facebook about his race during normal office hours.

Those facts were uncovered by the KSAT 12 Defenders investigative team during an undercover hidden camera investigation.

On Facebook, Comal County Sheriff Bob Holder writes that supporters asking for campaign signs should come to his county office. On his page he also notes that Roxanna or Frances can help them. Sometimes this is during regular work hours.

One constituent didn't like it.

"It seems unethical at best. As a taxpayer to know that our sheriff and our government officials are running campaign advertising and campaign out of offices that we the taxpayers are paying for," the man said, preferring to keep his identity hidden for fear of reprisal.

To determine whether Holder was indeed doing what his Facebook page suggested, a KSAT 12 producer walked into the sheriff's office and asked for campaign signs. Within a few minutes, Sheriff Holder personally delivered two yard signs and walked her to her car.

In an interview, Holder defended his actions.

"I think you can take and twist things any way you want to, but the fact of the matter is this is where I work," Holder said.

He said he does not campaign from this office and that being sheriff is a 24-hour a day job.

"I don't let the employees pass out signs,” Holder said. “I'm the only one that can pass out signs and I'm the only guy that's up for re-election."

Yet again, he posted that Roxanna and Frances, county employees in his office, can help with signs.

He defended giving the signs out at his county office.

“I don't have a campaign headquarters," Holder said.

He also keeps signs and campaign flyers in the trunk of his county-issued car.

Attorney Doug Ray in Austin, an election law expert, had some thoughts on Holder’s actions.

"The real issue is (whether it's) for a public purpose or a private purpose," Ray said.

His advice to candidates: Do not mix public and private interests.

"The Ethics Commission has said point-blank that campaigning for elective office is the private interest," Ray said.

Holder said he disagrees.

Proven violations of election laws can result in criminal prosecution and removal from office.

Holder is a Republican who has served 15 years as sheriff.

He faces Joshua Dean in the Republican primary.

No Democrats have announced so far.