▁E ck els ' ▁father , ▁Robert ▁Young ▁" Bob " ▁E ck els , ▁Jr ., ▁was ▁a ▁trust ee ▁of ▁the ▁Houston ▁Independent ▁School ▁District ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁was ▁elected ▁the ▁P rec inct ▁ 3 ▁county ▁commission er , ▁a ▁position ▁that ▁he ▁filled ▁until ▁shortly ▁before ▁his ▁death ▁on ▁Christmas ▁E ve ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁As ▁commission er , ▁the ▁senior ▁E ck els ▁was ▁accused ▁of ▁having ▁t apped ▁his ▁office ▁tele ph ones , ▁mail ▁fra ud , ▁and ▁the ft ▁of ▁tim ber ▁used ▁on ▁county ▁bridge ▁construction . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁he ▁ple aded ▁no ▁contest ▁to ▁charges ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁accepted ▁from ▁a ▁county ▁contract or ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁road ▁on ▁his ▁farm ▁in ▁Austin ▁County ▁within ▁the ▁Houston ▁metropol itan ▁district . ▁E ck els ▁told ▁The ▁Houston ▁Chron icle ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁" play ed ▁the ▁[ polit ical ] ▁game ▁by ▁their ▁rules . ▁The ▁world ▁has ▁moved ." ▁ ▁The ▁senior ▁E ck els ▁had ▁close ▁political ▁t ies ▁with ▁Vice ▁President ▁George ▁Herbert ▁Walker ▁Bush . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁while ▁his ▁son ▁was ▁a ▁first - term ▁legisl ator , ▁Commission er ▁E ck els ▁turned ▁the ▁Harris ▁County ▁government ▁into ▁a ▁virtual ▁arm ▁of ▁the ▁Re agan - B ush ▁re - e lection ▁campaign . ▁He ▁used ▁county ▁tele ph ones , ▁computers , ▁and ▁employees ▁to ▁establish ▁an ▁organization