Charges Dropped Against Harris County Official, Sparking Accusations of Cover-Up
In a dramatic turn of events in Harris County, Texas, the newly inaugurated District Attorney Sean Teare has dismissed charges against a prominent official linked to a significant bid-rigging scandal. This move has ignited a fiery response from former District Attorney Kim Ogg, who has leveled accusations of a “cover-up” against her successor.
Last week, Teare’s office dropped charges against Barbie Robinson, the former Harris County Public Health Director, in connection with an alleged $40 million scheme to misappropriate taxpayer funds to two companies, including IBM, as reported by ABC 13.
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the decision was made after a thorough review of the evidence by seasoned prosecutors, concluding that the state could not establish the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The office deemed that pursuing the case would not serve the interests of justice.
This controversy comes on the heels of a prior report revealing that Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and her former staff would be reimbursed nearly $900,000 in legal expenses associated with bid-rigging allegations.
In March, Ogg had transferred the case to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office to ensure it didn’t “fall through the cracks” before her departure from office. Subsequently, County Commissioners voted 3-1 to reimburse Hidalgo and three staffers a total of $877,402 for legal costs after a different prosecutor dropped the charges.
This saga traces back to a bid-rigging investigation in which Hidalgo’s top aides were indicted in April 2022 over an $11 million contract for a vaccine outreach initiative awarded to a firm with strong political ties to Hidalgo.
While Hidalgo was busy enforcing stringent COVID-19 regulations, she was simultaneously attempting to funnel an $11 million contract to Felicity Pereyra, founder of Elevate Strategies. However, after scrutiny arose regarding the qualifications of the firm, Hidalgo ultimately rescinded the contract.
Hidalgo’s Chief of Staff, Alex Triantaphyllis, Policy Director Wallis Nader, and co-defendant Aaron Dunn faced charges of misusing official information and tampering with government documents related to the ill-fated outreach contract.
On Friday, Hidalgo took to social media to criticize Ogg, claiming that the dismissal of charges against Robinson was racially motivated. In her statement, she lamented the “false accusations” against public servants and asserted that Robinson’s unjust firing exemplifies a troubling trend of targeting officials of color.
“I’m relieved to see this chapter closed, but Director Robinson should never have been fired, and taxpayers shouldn’t have had to bear the burden of this political prosecution,” Hidalgo stated on Facebook.
Ogg, unfazed by Hidalgo’s remarks, criticized the decision to drop charges against Robinson. “What we’re witnessing is a blatant quid pro quo,” Ogg asserted, labeling it a “cover-up” in exchange for political support from officials potentially implicated in the matter.
In a separate interview, Ogg called for a federal investigation, expressing concern over possible evidence destruction in the wake of these developments. “Harris County’s policies permit the destruction of email communications,” she warned, urging the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to step in.
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