Travis County District Attorney Ronald Earle today released the following statement:
Don Robert Hodge, the former director of the City of Austin Convention Center Department, today
entered a plea of guilty before Travis County District Judge Bob Perkins to five counts of tampering
with a governmental record, a Class A misdemeanor. Hodge was sentenced to two years deferred
adjudication and was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine. In addition, Hodge was ordered to submit a
public apology letter and will have to complete 120 community service restitution (CSR) hours.
The indictment alleges that Hodge made false representations in Austin Convention Center Department
Quality of Service Surveys submitted to the Austin Convention Center Department from October 2005
through February 2007. Quality of Service Surveys are used by city management to determine
performance pay for Convention Center employees.
This case stemmed from a criminal investigation of the Austin Convention Center Department by the
City Auditor, the Austin Police Department and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
