On September 13, 2011, the former Director of the Montgomery County Collections Department, Nadine Jenkins, pled guilty to Abuse of Official Capacity, a Class ‘A’ Misdemeanor in County Court at Law #3. Jenkins paid a $1000 dollar fine plus costs of court. In addition, as part of the plea agreement, Jenkins was required to resign from employment with Montgomery County effective on July 1, 2011 and was required to pay $5,000 in restitution to Montgomery County.
Around the first of June, 2011, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office – Public Integrity Division was provided information of alleged improper conduct by Jenkins while Jenkins was serving as the Director of the Collections Department. After an extensive investigation by the Public Integrity Division and the Texas Rangers, it was clear that Jenkins had illegally used Montgomery County resources and employees to operate a private non-profit business, the National Governmental Collectors Association, of which Jenkins was the President and CEO. For several years, Jenkins required collections department county employees to assist with the day-to-day operations of her personal business. Jenkins continuously used county equipment to conduct mail-outs to the association’s members and make copies for the association’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jenkins had one such county employee working full time for the association even though he was on the clock as a full time Montgomery County employee.
Jenkins had been employed with Montgomery County for over ten years.
Tyler Dunman (Public Integrity Prosecutor): “It is truly unfortunate that Jenkins, the leader in her department, thought that she was above the law and could get away with this type of conduct. Clearly, Jenkins was not concerned with leading her department to excellence, but was rather concerned with her own financial interests.”
