On June 10, 2019, Governor Greg Abbott signed a law to legalize state hemp production and sales as soon as the Texas Department of Agriculture adopted rules to regulate the potentially lucrative new industry. In the ensuing race to score the state’s first licenses, several hemp enthusiasts forked over tens of thousands of dollars for insider advice from Todd M. Smith, a lobbyist and the longtime number-one political advisor to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
Smith cultivates a tough-guy persona. “I AM Danger!” he once tweeted. “I don’t tolerate losing or fools—especially fools that lose.”
Smith and Miller, a real life rodeo cowboy, have been a team since the Stephenville Republican first won a Texas House race in 2000. Miller has given Smith—his top client—$1.5 million of the $6.6 million in political consulting fees he’s reported since 2000. During that time, Smith, who doubles as a lobbyist, received at least $26 million more from lobbying clients.
