The former director of the Texas Lottery Commission, Gary Grief, has been indicted for abuse of office. However, the case was quickly dismissed, according to court documents.
The Texas Lottery Commission Was Embroiled in a Huge Scandal
Grief first came under fire due to the $95 million Lotto jackpot scandal in 2023, which prompted the wider pushback against lottery couriers in Texas. For context, the case saw a Europe-based consortium buy tickets with all possible combinations to win the $95 million Lotto jackpot in 2023, effectively guaranteeing itself the win.
To make matters worse, the Texas Lottery Commission assisted the ticket buyout by printing thousands of tickets via four state-licensed retailers. The agency also allowed the buyers to use extra terminals and provided pallets of paper to process the tickets.
This controversial win sparked debates about the legality of bulk ticket purchases, eventually raising questions about lottery courier apps that purchase lottery tickets on behalf of players. Grief, who was director of the Texas Lottery Commission at the time, faced significant criticism due to the $95 million win, which was called “the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas.”
Grief resigned in 2024 due to the pressures and criticism. In the aftermath of the huge scandal, the Texas Lottery Commission ended up getting dismantled and the lottery is now being overseen by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
In addition to that, lottery couriers were eventually banned in the Lone Star State, with lawmakers arguing that the platforms could have otherwise enabled another bulk purchase.
Now, the Houston Chronicle has reported that court documents show that Grief was recently indicted for abuse of office. According to the indictment, he allegedly “intentionally and knowingly misuse(d) government property,” (in this case, the Lotto Texas drawing), enabling the controversial $95 million win.
However, the case was dismissed on the very next day by the Travis County District Attorney’s office, citing “prosecutorial discretion.” The Houston Chronicle unsuccessfully tried to contact the assistant district attorney and Grief’s attorney to learn more.
In any case, the news outlet called the quick and unexplained dismissal “another element of mystery” in the scheme.
In other news, a trust just claimed a $78 million jackpot a few days before the ticket expired.
