Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said last week that Texas Governor Greg Abbott 'hates trees because one fell on him'

A judge has been forced to apologize for making an insensitive joke about Texas Governor Greg Abbott's accident that left him paralyzed decades ago.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said last week that Abbott 'hates trees because one fell on him', referring to an accident 35 years ago that left the governor paralyzed from the waist down and using a wheelchair ever since.

On Friday Eckhardt, a democratic judge, issued an apology to Republican Governor Abbot.

'In my panel today at the Texas Tribune Festival on 'Public Enragement' I spoke about the importance of being able to disagree without being disagreeable. Then I said something disagreeable,' Eckhardt said in a statement, according to The Texas Tribune.

The comments were made in discussion of the Texas Legislature overriding Austin's tree ordinance.

'I want to apologize to Governor Abbott. I made a flippant comment that was inappropriate. The comment did nothing to further the debate I was participating in, much less further the political discourse in our community, state, and nation.

'While the Governor and I disagree on a number of issues, that is no excuse to be disagreeable.'

Eckhardt was referring to an accident that left the governor paralyzed 35 years ago. Abbott, 61, was left paralyzed from the waist down since when an oak tree fell on him while he was jogging in Houston

On Friday, Eckhardt apologized to Abbott for the 'inappropriate' comment

In a statement Friday, Travis County Republican Chairman Matt Mackowiak called Eckhardt's comments 'disgusting' and an 'outrageous joke'.

'Judge Eckhardt apparently believes that his disability is open to ridicule if it helps her make a political argument. This joke represents a profound lack of compassion from Judge Eckhardt,' Mackiowak said.

He went on to call her apology 'weak' and insincere.

'After news reports surfaced about her outrageous joke, she has since offered a weak apology. I hope she takes some time to reflect and reaches out to Governor Abbott and his family to also privately apologize. There is no place for insulting Americans with disabilities and Judge Eckhardt should know better,' he added.

Abbott became paralyzed in 1984 when he was 26 when an oak tree fell on him while jogging on a windy day in Houston.

The issue came to light after a tweet by Federalist editor John Daniel Davidson

He sued the homeowner and the tree service that had inspected it before it came down on him.

Abbott was awarded in a multi-million dollar lawsuit agreement the following year.

But in 2013, he told the Texas Tribune that would gladly give the money back to have the use of his legs again.

'Money doesn't heal anything. Money doesn't allow me to walk. It doesn't allow me to dance with my wife. It doesn't allow me to pick up my daughter. It doesn't allow me to walk my daughter down the aisle when she gets married,' Abbott said during his first campaign for governor.

'If you could name the person I could write the check to, I'd send all this money right back if I could walk again.'