Corrupt Harris County Decide Lina Hidalgo and her former staffers will likely be reimbursed almost $900,000 in authorized charges associated to bid-rigging fees.
Final yr Harris County District Legal professional Kim Ogg (D) transferred the case to Ken Paxton’s workplace so it didn’t ‘fall by means of the cracks’ when she left workplace this yr.
Nevertheless, County Commissioners voted 3-1 to reimburse Hidalgo and her three former staffers $877,402 for legals charges associated to the case after a separate prosecutor dropped the fees.
Hidalgo’s workplace 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 many decide’s political cronies.
Whereas Hidalgo was threatening to jail and effective individuals for violating her Covid guidelines, she was secretly attempting to award one among her political cronies, Felicity Pereyra, who based Elevate Methods, an $11 million ‘vaccine outreach’ contract.
Hidalgo in the end panicked and canceled the $11 million vaccine contract after questions had been raised that it was with a one-person agency with no expertise.
Hidalgo’s Chief of Workers Alex Triantaphyllis and Coverage Director Wallis Nader together with co-defendant Aaron Dunn had been charged with misuse of official data and tampering with authorities paperwork in reference to the canceled vaccine outreach contract.
Lina Hidalgo and Kim Ogg beforehand received right into a public feud.
Hidalgo beforehand trashed DA Kim Ogg in a press convention after she accused her of threatening her reelection by floating a attainable indictment.
Decide Hildaldo lashed out at Kim Ogg once more this yr after the County commissioners voted to reimburse her.
“It was a political assault,” Hidalgo mentioned, in response to Houston Public Media. “I barely gained, so she virtually achieved what she needed, which was to bleed me dry to the purpose that I couldn’t run a correct political operation, and that’s not one thing that we need to permit prosecutors to do.”
Kim Ogg hit again and zinged Lina Hidalgo for her lack of understanding in regards to the justice system.
“The truth that the circumstances had been later dismissed by a distinct prosecutor doesn’t change the truth that bizarre individuals heard the proof on this case and indicted these individuals for contract bidding, for bid-rigging of a contract,” Ogg mentioned, in response to HPM.
“Decide Hidalgo’s lack of awareness in regards to the felony justice system by no means fails to shock me,” Kim Ogg added. “She isn’t a lawyer. She has not been to the courthouse to the perfect of my data, and she or he doesn’t appear to grasp the system.”
Lina Hidalgo checked herself into a treatment facility for scientific despair in summer season 2023.
