FBI agents are investigating District Attorney Craig Watkins in Dallas after he used more than $50,000 in asset forfeiture funds to secretly reach an agreement following a car accident in which he was involved, WFAA 8 reports.
Watkins said he couldn’t talk about the investigation.
Agents are focusing in on the ruse of asset forfeiture funds to pay the settlement, which may be illegal, experts said.
“We are troubled by the actions undertaken by Mr. Watkins,” State Rep. Jason Villalba told News 8. “He is a steward of the public trust. He has a duty to manage the public’s trust in a way that doesn’t violate the rule of law. What we see here is a clear abrogation of his responsibility to treat asset forfeiture funds in the ways that the existing authorities have determined they should be treated.”
Under the settlement, the man hit by Watkins’ car agreed not to speak to the media or he’d be forced to turn over $40,000, according to WFAA 8.
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