RICHMOND, Texas — Attorneys for Interim Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong on Thursday presented county records they say contradict the current position of Commissioners Grady Prestage and Dexter McCoy, revealing the commissioners unanimously approved recording Wong’s oath of office for a term ending Dec. 31, 2026.
The records were given to reporters shortly before Commissioners Court was scheduled to meet. The meeting ultimately failed to convene after Prestage and McCoy did not attend in protest of Wong’s continued role as county judge. Commissioner Andy Meyers joined remotely while on vacation, but his virtual attendance did not count toward the physical quorum required to conduct county business.
During the press conference, Wong’s attorney, Chris Hilton, referenced the April 23 Commissioners Court agenda, which shows the court unanimously approved the consent agenda. Included was Item 7A, “Record into Minutes the Statement of Officer and Oath of Office for County Judge Daniel Wong for the term of office April 13, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2026.”
According to Hilton, the vote was approved by Wong, and Commissioners Prestage, McCoy, Meyers and Morales.
“This fight over Judge Wong is about politics, not the law,” Hilton said. “Judge Wong was lawfully appointed county judge, and now he’s merely fulfilling his constitutional obligation to continue serving in that role.”
Hilton argued the April vote demonstrates that the commissioners acknowledged Wong’s appointment after he was sworn in following the temporary suspension of elected County Judge KP George.
Wong dismissed a separate lawsuit he filed Monday seeking judicial clarification after Fort Bend County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson filed a quo warranto action later the same day challenging his authority to remain in office. Wong said consolidating the dispute into a single case would allow the courts to resolve the issue through the proper legal process.
“There was no reason to ask multiple courts to resolve substantially the same legal question,” Wong said. “The legal process will run its course.”
Wong said his focus remains on maintaining county operations while the litigation proceeds.
“My responsibility is to ensure that county government continues to operate with integrity, professionalism and stability,” Wong said. “The business of Fort Bend County continues without disruption.”
Earlier Thursday, the Fort Bend County Democratic Party held its own press conference outside the Historic Courthouse in Richmond, where Communications Chair Anna Lykoudis defended Smith-Lawson’s decision to file the quo warranto action and accused Wong of unlawfully remaining in office after the lawsuit that led to his temporary appointment was dismissed June 17.
Lykoudis said Smith-Lawson is fulfilling her statutory duty to protect the county and taxpayers from legal uncertainty.
“When a traffic light turns red, the law is clear,” Lykoudis said. “You don’t get to claim that the light was green and keep going. That’s what Mr. Wong is doing.”
Lykoudis also criticized what she described as continued attacks on Smith-Lawson’s legal authority by Wong and Republican commissioners, saying the county attorney has been subjected to disrespect while carrying out her legal responsibilities.
The legal dispute centers on whether Wong’s temporary appointment automatically expired when the lawsuit that resulted in his appointment was voluntarily dismissed, as Smith-Lawson argues, or whether the Texas Constitution’s holdover provision allows Wong to remain in office until a court determines otherwise, as Wong’s attorneys contend.
With only Wong and Morales physically present Thursday, Commissioners Court lacked the quorum necessary to conduct county business. The competing legal arguments are now expected to be resolved through the pending quo warranto proceeding.
