Tarrant DA will not pursue charges in Westworth Village election bribery case
The Tarrant County District Attorney’s office will not pursue criminal charges in the Westworth Village bribery case.
Earlier this month, Westworth Village City Council member Halden Griffith was arrested on a charge of bribery after he delivered pastries to potential voters on Election Day May 2.
The DA’s office told the Star-Telegram that a thorough review of the facts and evidence presented to its office did not rise to the level of a criminal offense.
Westworth Village Mayor Kelly Jones said that the Westworth Village Police Department investigation is still ongoing.
Griffith himself was not up for reelection. A flyer on the box of pastries showed support for three City Council candidates: Darla Thornton, Brad Turner and Michael Bachand.
According to Griffith’s original arrest affidavit, Westworth Village Mayor Kelly Jones received information from a resident that Griffith was handing out the pastry boxes. Jones then saw Griffith distributing the boxes around the neighborhood and photographed him.
Jones left a voicemail message to Griffith, warning him that what he did was “highly illegal,” according to the affidavit.
“The city received serious accusations from numerous citizens on Election Day that a current elected official, and possibly others acting in concert, violated your Constitutional rights to a fair election. These accusations must not be taken lightly; duty requires they be fully investigated,” Jones wrote in a press release to citizens on May 14, before Griffith was arrested on May 15.
Following Griffith’s arrest, Frank Sellers, an attorney formerly representing Griffith said he did not bribe anyone, and that he was confident the case was not going to go anywhere.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 3:50 PM.
