Pete Gallego has stepped down from his position as the spokesperson for the Bexar County District Attorney's Office, as confirmed by the office. Gallego, whose tenure saw him initially taking on the role of government relations advisor and then as communications director in the past year, submitted his resignation set to be effective July 16, according to KSAT.
In a statement relayed by Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales, he recognized Gallego's service and dedication, stating, "I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Pete Gallego for his service and dedication to the community of Bexar County during his tenure as our Government Relations Advisor and Director of Communications. Pete’s hard work and commitment have been invaluable to our office over the past year." Gonzales credits Gallego with enhancing communication and community engagement, attributing to him the fostering of greater trust and transparency with the citizens.
Gallego, who is 62, has had a lengthy career in public service as an attorney and politician. He represented Texas in the U.S. Congress from 2013 to 2015 and served as a state representative for over twenty years, before his involvement with the District Attorney's office. Following his stint in politics, he had a brief role as president of Sul Ross State University, a position he left to spend more time with his teenage son amid possible internal complications, as reported by KSAT.
The announcement of Gallego's resignation comes amid various critiques faced by the DA’s office. Issues span from the office's relationship with the social justice reform group, the Wren Collective, to delays in indicting suspects with plea deals resulting in significantly reduced prison time or lesser charges, in addition to the dismissal of a notable count of cases. Earlier this year, Gallego was involved in a controversy when he accused KSAT’s investigative unit of filming the D.A.’s personal residence for a story on Gonzales' $9,000 a year car allowance, a claim that was later debunked when no such video footage was found to exist. Furthermore, insiders have described the office environment as "hostile and toxic," marred by issues of harassment and poor communication, paralleling the departure of First Assistant District Attorney Christian Henricksen who resigned in April to join Travis County D.A.’s Office, according to details shared by KSAT.
Additional recognition of Gallego’s service came through a statement obtained by Fox San Antonio, wherein DA Gonzales expressed his appreciation for Gallego’s contributions to the office.
