Charges against a high-ranking Harris County, Texas, official tied to two massive bid-rigging case were dropped by the newly sworn-in District Attorney.
Former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg (D) accused the new DA, Sean Teare (D), of a “cover-up” after another bid-rigging case was dropped.
Last week, the Harris County DA’s Office dropped charges against former Harris County Public Health Director Barbie Robinson.
“The charges were tied to an alleged $40 million effort to steer taxpayer money to two different companies, including IBM,” ABC 13 reported.
“After an exhaustive review of the evidence concluded by career prosecutors, the HCDAO has determined that the State cannot prove any of the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt and that pursuing this case is not in the interests of justice,” the DA’s office said.
In March, it was reported that Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and her former staffers would be reimbursed nearly $900,000 in legal fees related to bid-rigging charges.
Last year, then-Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg transferred the case to Ken Paxton’s office so it didn’t ‘fall through the cracks’ when she left office this year.
However, County Commissioners voted 3-1 to reimburse Hidalgo and her three former staffers $877,402 for legal fees related to the case after a separate prosecutor dropped the charges.
Hidalgo’s office was embroiled in a bid-rigging scandal.
Lina Hidalgo’s top three staffers were indicted in April 2022 after prosecutors expanded the investigation into an $11 million ‘vaccine outreach contract’ awarded to one of the judge’s political cronies.
While Hidalgo was threatening to jail and fine people for violating her Covid rules, she was secretly trying to award one of her political cronies, Felicity Pereyra, who founded Elevate Strategies, an $11 million ‘vaccine outreach’ contract.
Hidalgo ultimately panicked and canceled the $11 million vaccine contract after questions were raised that it was with a one-person firm with no experience.
Hidalgo’s Chief of Staff Alex Triantaphyllis and Policy Director Wallis Nader along with co-defendant Aaron Dunn were charged with misuse of official information and tampering with government documents in connection with the canceled vaccine outreach contract.
On Friday, Lina Hidalgo attacked Kim Ogg and accused the former DA of targeting Director Robinson over the color of her skin.
“Once again, false accusations against a Harris County public servant are found to have been baseless. The unfair prosecution and firing of Director Robinson is part of a pattern we’ve seen too often: public servants who challenge the status quo—especially people of color— being targeted with political prosecutions and with public haranguing by elected leaders, who are all too quick to jump to conclusions when it comes to accusations against a select few. I’m glad to see this chapter closed, but Director Robinson should never have been fired, the taxpayers should never have had to pay for this political prosecution, and this pattern needs to stop,” Lina Hidalgo said in a statement on Facebook.
Kim Ogg lashed out at the DA’s decision to drop the charges against Barbie Robinson.
“I think what we’re seeing is real quid pro quo status,” Kim Ogg told ABC13 on Friday. “It’s an absolute cover-up.”
“This is a cover-up by Sean Teare in return for support he received from certain public officials who could be implicated in these investigations,” Ogg said.
Kim Ogg called for a federal investigation in a separate interview with Fox 26.
“What I’m concerned about is destruction of the evidence,” Ogg said in an interview with FOX 26 reporter Greg Groogan obtained by The Texan. “Harris County’s own policies allow for destruction of email communications.”
“That’s why I’m calling on the federal government, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate,” Ogg said.
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