In a move that has stirred the waters of Conroe's political scene, City Secretary Soco Gorjon has been terminated from her role following a ballot controversy that shrouded the city's May 4 election in conflict. The Conroe City Council delivered their verdict in a 4-1 vote, rejecting any contractual payment for Gorjon, this information as per a report by the Houston Chronicle. Mayor Duke Coon and Councilman Howard Wood were among those who recused themselves, given Gorjon's pending $1 million lawsuit against them and other city officials.
Gorjon's contentious dismissal follows her previous admission that she notarized the ballot applications of former city officials, Curt Maddux and Todd Yancey, without their in-person presence. Initially placed on administrative leave in April, Gorjon refused to dismiss the applications, citing a "technicality", which became a fulcrum for litigation by mayoral candidate Duke Coon, and council candidate Shana Arthur. Despite the dismissal of several lawsuits by the 9th Court of Appeals, including the ones filed by Coon and Arthur, the controversy culminated in Gorjon's removal from her position.
Amidst this fray, the legal tangle extended further as Gorjon's attorney, Nathan Steadman put forth a settlement proposition demanding in excess of $800,000 from the city in exchange for her resignation – a proposal the city left unanswered. Subsequently, Steadman filed a suit alleging legal malpractice against City Attorney Mike Garner, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The conflict of interest accusation stemmed from legal advice Garner offered to Gorjon regarding the ballot issue prior to representing the city against her.
Meanwhile, in the vein of the election itself, a Ninth Court of Appeals judge dismissed a petition aimed at removing Yancey and Maddux from their respective ballot positions. The dismissed petition was driven by assertions of application unlawfulness by their opponents, Coon and Arthur, as uncovered in an interview with their attorney, Cris Feldman by ABC13. In counterpoint, Yancey and Maddux responded with a joint statement, "A court just dismissed Duke Coon and Shana Arthur's 5th attempt at kicking us off the ballot. This case is over, and we are glad the court sided with protecting the rights of voters in Conroe." If there's a further path to be taken against the ballot controversy, Feldman and his clients are still "assessing that".
