Bunch alleges threat, Doyal calls allegations foul

FROM CONROE COURIER By Catherine Dominguez | Posted: Friday, April 24, 2015 10:40 pm

The Woodlands Township board member Gordy Bunch is claiming Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal threatened him regarding Bunch’s position on the $350 million road bond on the May 9 ballot at a fundraising event more than two months ago.

Bunch announced the allegations during the township board meeting Thursday night.

According to Bunch, Doyal made the comment, “I’m coming after you” during a private conversation between the two as they left an event in The Woodlands Feb. 26.

“Because of the opposition, I drew threats,” Bunch said of his stance against the road bond. “I was directly threatened by Judge Doyal that he was going to come after me for my opposition and then he threatened this community by saying, ‘If this bond fails because we oppose this extension, they may not give us as much money next time.

“I think everyone who represents The Woodlands should be offended by that.”

Bunch said the comment was “out of line” and not what he expected from an elected official.

“I have had people tell me that I should consider any threat made by anybody to be something cautious about,” Bunch said. “Whether he meant anything by it or not, it was totally inappropriate.”

According to Bunch, no one else heard the conversation between Doyal and him.

However, Doyal said the comment has been taken out of context and he did not threaten any harm to Bunch and recalled the conversation as “pleasant.”

“We were at a fundraiser and we had a pleasant conversation before the fundraiser started. At the end of the night as we prepared to leave, I put my hand on his shoulder, looked him in the eye, and said, ‘Gordy, I respect you, but I’m coming after you on this one,” said Doyal, adding he was referring to the information Bunch was providing voters about the bond, specifically the extension of Woodlands Parkway from FM 2978 to Texas 242. “He looked at me and said, ‘All’s fair;’ and I said, ‘All’s fair,’ not realizing that ‘all’s fair’ for him meant he could distort this conversation. I wanted to let him know we would be quick to challenge his claims with the facts and we have.

“We’ve heard comments like the Woodlands Parkway would become the next FM 1960 and suggestions that the extension of Woodlands Parkway would destroy the lifestyle of residents of The Woodlands, both of which are completely false. His claims of feeling threatened simply continue that same pattern of exaggerations and scare tactics.”

Doyal questioned Bunch’s timing of making the conversation public.

“There have been multiple events where we both appeared together and he never once mentioned our conversation,” Doyal said. “In fact, other conversations at our latest events have been quite cordial. It seems odd to me that he just now is feeling threatened on the eve of early voting over a pleasant conversation we had over two months ago.”

Early voting begins Monday.

Bunch said he did not contact law enforcement about the alleged threat.

“I contacted some media outlets so if something happened to me somebody knew,” Bunch said. “I did retake my (concealed handgun license) course.”

Phil Grant, first assistant with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, said his office has not received any complaint on the situation.

“Political speech is rarely, if ever, criminal under the eyes of the law,” Grant said.