WAXAHACHIE – A civil petition to remove Ellis County Commissioner Matt Zajic, pct. 2, from office was formally filed on Sept. 14.
The petition was submitted by a private resident to Judge Ray Wheless, the presiding district judge of the First Administrative Judicial Region of Texas.
The petition seeks to remove Zajic from office on the grounds of official misconduct.
This action follows an arrest in June 2026 involving charges of theft, with the Ellis County Press June 18 issue headlining the arrest being used as one of six exhibits in the petition.
The petition stated it was the “Originally verified petition for removal of Ellis County Commissioner Matt Zajic and request for temporary suspension pending trial.”
The petition reads, “While serving as Ellis County Commissioner, Matthew Zajic knowingly used an Ellis County-owned vehicle for his personal purposes including for the purpose of committing theft of property at a Walmart in Ennis, Texas.”
The petition also states as a “direct consequence” of his actions the county had to send personnel to the Walmart parking lot to retrieve the vehicle.
“Zajic’s personal use of county property violated Ellis County policy governing county vehicles, a policy which Zajic had acknowledged receipt.
Article V of the petition outlined “Prior Walmart theft incidents as circumstantial evidence of intent.”
It reads, “Before respondent took office, Ennis Police Department records documented alleged theft incidents involving respondent at Walmart in Ennis, Texas on April 17, 2026; April 22, 2026, and April 30, 2026. Items alleged to have been stolen include diapers, ribeye steak, a salad kit, sweet tea, apple juice, prime beef ribs, choice beef Angus tenderloin and Angus Cowboy ribeye steak.”
Article V states, “On May 30, 2026, after Respondent had assumed office Ennis Police Department records documented another illegal theft involving Respondent at the same Walmart.
“Items alleged to have been stolen include picture hangers, toddler clothing, a desktop calculator and a contractor nozzle.”
Texas law prohibits removal for an act committed before election to office, but it adds, “Those earlier incidents, however, are relevant circumstantial evidence of Respondents intent, plan, purpose and state of mind in connection with the June 11, 2026, incident alleged below.”
On June 14 Ennis Police also documented and investigated multiple additional theft incidents at the same Walmart before and after Zajic assumed office.
Under Texas Local Government Code (§ 87.015–87.017), the presiding district judge has the authority to assign an outside district judge to handle the case. This assigned judge can issue a removal citation, temporarily suspend Zajic from office, and appoint an interim officeholder pending a formal trial.