By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

Almost a year ago, Donald Brown withdrew his name from the election for Orange County Judge.

Brown officially withdrew his name from the ballot for Orange County Judge on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

Brown filled out the Certificate of Withdrawal on April 26, 2018.

All this after Brown and his spouse, Daniel K. Spencer, self-surrendered to officials on in connection with a warrant issued for injury to a child.

In a fundraising plea on Facebook, Brown wrote, “As many people are aware, we have been wrongfully charged with Felony Injury to A Child. CPS has a report that exonerates us but they are dragging their feet releasing it. Our previous copy of the letter was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. We need $25,000 to defend this in court. Our home and our business were destroyed so we are not in a position to come up with this. To those who know us please help and ask people you know to help. We are being persecuted because a gay man tried to run for countywide political office in Orange County, Texas. We have proof of the attempted extortion.”

Brown was at one time also facing legal issues at one time for his filing fee for running for office was returned to the local Democrat Party for non-sufficient funds. He paid the fee with a certified check in March. The deadline for filing ended on December 11, 2017, the day Brown submitted his application for the position.

Brown has maintained he had inadvertently written the check for his filing on the wrong account and attempted to reach the Orange County Democrat Chair Interim after discovering his error. Orange County Democrat Party denies any attempt was made.

Brown continued in his plea for funds by writing, “We do not believe the prosecutor, District Attorney, County Sheriff or Presiding Judge have any involvement in this miscarriage of justice but are simply doing their jobs. Without assistance we could be subjected to prison time for a crime we did not commit.”

According to the Orange County Democratic Chair Louis Ackerman, “As a party, there has not been any indications of the District Attorney showing any malice towards the LBGT community.”

Since posting the Paypal Fundraiser, there have been zero contributions towards the $25,000.