There are a couple of key issues regarding alleged corruption connected to King Ranch: the historic 

Chapman family lawsuit alleging fraud in the 1800s, which was ultimately unsuccessful, and a more recent, unrelated issue involving a different “King Fuji Ranch” in Washington state, where a separate entity faced penalties for discriminatory hiring practices. The historical lawsuit claimed that the ranch’s founder, Richard King, conspired with his attorney to deprive the Chapman family of their rightful share of land. However, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the original settlement, ruling the lawsuit was without merit. 

Historical land dispute

• The Claim: The Chapman family sued, alleging that Richard King and his attorney had conspired to defraud them out of their share of the original land in the late 1800s.
• The Verdict: The case went through multiple courts, eventually reaching the Texas Supreme Court, which ruled against the Chapman heirs.
• The Outcome: The court upheld the original 1883 settlement, stating that the Chapman heirs had not provided sufficient evidence of fraud and that the case was based on speculation and folklore, according to the Plainview Herald. 

Other allegations

• Florida political scandal: In 2014, a scandal emerged involving high-ranking Florida Republicans who allegedly did not properly report lavish trips to the King Ranch, hosted by a company with business before the state. This involved a business relationship between U.S. Sugar and King Ranch, but this does not appear to be connected to the historical land lawsuit.
• Washington state “King Fuji Ranch”: A separate entity named “King Fuji Ranch” in Washington state was penalized in 2025 for discrimination and misrepresentation in its hiring practices, but this is unrelated to King Ranch in Texas. Nonstop Local News reports.