Robert Chody files campaign finance report showing intent to seek 2024 Williamson County sheriff office

In the midst of a criminal trial and following his election loss last year, former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody has filed preliminary documents for a potential run at the position again in 2024.

Chody on July 9 submitted a campaign finance report with Williamson County, in which the former sheriff marked down he is seeking to run for the office of Williamson County sheriff in the March 5, 2024, primary election.

The documents show Chody did not receive any political campaign contributions from Jan. 1 to June 30, the reporting period for this campaign finance report. During that window, Chody reported $569.34 in political expenditures, including two loans to an address at 10500 Avery Club Drive, Unit 26, Austin.

According to records from the Williamson County Central Appraisal District, that property is owned by RBH CNC Ltd., a domestic limited partnership. The filed campaign finance report also lists that address as the address for Chody’s campaign treasurer.

These campaign finance reports do not officially register Chody as a candidate for the 2024 Williamson County sheriff primary election, Williamson County Elections Administrator Christopher Davis said. Chody would not have to file for that race officially until November 2023, Davis told Community Impact Newspaper.

“All he has done is maintain his campaign finance reporting obligations,” Davis said. “The only thing notable is ... he is selecting a primary date three years hence. This is not in any way a filing for the position, but this probably could be considered an announcement that he’s intending to run for the position given that this is a public document filed with my office.”

Chody was not required by law to mark that he is seeking the office of Williamson County sheriff or mark down the March 2024 primary election on his campaign finance report, Davis said.

"It is rare that I’ve seen anything this far in advance. ... Lots of people leave that blank,” Davis said.

Davis further stated that, to his knowledge, no other candidate has yet filed campaign finance reports related to the March 2024 primary elections in Williamson County.

The next round of campaign finance reports will cover contributions and expenditures from July 1 through Dec. 31 and are due by Jan. 15, David said.

Chody previously served as Williamson County sheriff beginning in 2017. The former sheriff lost his re-election bid to Democrat Mike Gleason in the November 2020 general election.

As previously reported by Community Impact Newspaper, Chody is awaiting trial in Travis County for charges of evidence tampering in the case of Javier Ambler II, who died in 2019 after being Tased by Williamson County Sheriff's Office deputies in Travis County.

The charges in question relate to events that took place in March 2019, when Ambler was involved in a car chase with Williamson County sheriff's deputies after failing to dim his lights to oncoming traffic, according to county documents. The chase ended in Travis County when Ambler crashed his vehicle and was Tased four times by deputies before becoming unresponsive. His death was ruled a “justifiable homicide,” according to a report filed with the Texas attorney general’s office.

Community Impact Newspaper reached out to the campaign treasurer listed on Chody’s campaign finance report and did not receive a response before publishing time.