You may remember Harris County Democratic Judge Lina Hidalgo from such previous hits as You Stupid Republicans Don’t Get Ballots, You Peasants Have No Right To Learn What I’m Doing, Watch My Aides Get indicted For Corruption, and How Badly Can I Screw Up An Election. Well, here comes yet another legal imbroglio.
A criminal complaint filed against Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was referred to the Texas Rangers for investigation on Monday according to information obtained by The Texan from Constable Mark Herman’s (Pct. 4) office.
The complaint stems from a press conference Hidalgo held on November 10, the day after news broke that the Texas Rangers would be executing new search warrants in relation to an $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract the county awarded to a highly connected Democratic strategist in 2021. Hidalgo’s comments were made on county property and livestreamed on the Office of the County Judge’s official social media accounts.
During the event, Hidalgo accused District Attorney Kim Ogg of leaking the new warrants to the media, although they had been posted to the district clerk’s website and were available to the public.
“This is just the same dirty politics she’s been playing out for years,” said Hidalgo, adding that Ogg stood in the way of changes to the criminal justice system.
Knowing Hidalgo’s soft-on-crime approach, maybe it’s best someone did stand in the way of any changes she wants to make.
Ogg is a more interesting figure. She was initially backed by George Soros, but she has edging away from him, and got primaried from the left in 2020 for not being radical enough, and Soros backed primary opponent Audia Jones.
“She’s up for re-election March 5, and I happen to know her opponent Sean Teare,” said Hidalgo. “He is a well-respected, very experienced, strong opponent.”
“I literally spent the day yesterday before this stuff was leaked working on the endorsement of him Monday.”
Under Texas Election Code using an elected office to engage in political advertising is a Class A misdemeanor, and under the Penal Code misuse of government property, services, or personnel constitutes an Abuse of Official Capacity, which could be classified as a misdemeanor or state jail felony depending on the value of the thing misused.
Following the press conference, attorney Mark McCaig filed a civil complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) and a criminal complaint with Harris County Constable Precinct 4.
After McCaig made his complaint with the TEC public, video of the press conference was removed from the county’s official social media sites, but the conference is available here.
“Due to nature of the complaints and the allegations being made against an elected official here in Harris County, our office contacted the Texas Department of Public Safety where it was agreed that the Texas Rangers would investigate the allegations made by this complainant,” Herman told The Texan.
I have to think this is pretty small potatoes stuff for the Texas Rangers to investigate, but the law is the law.
More interesting to me is the sheer number of allegations against Hidalgo for various high crimes and misdemeanors, as well as the split between her and Ogg.
Blue-on-Blue tiffs always have a certain fascination…
Tags: Audia Jones, coronavirus, Democrats, Harris County, Holly Hansen, Houston, Kim Ogg, Lina Hidalgo, Mark McCaig, Sean Teare, Texas, Texas Ethics Commission, Texas Rangers
“Blue-on-blue tiffs always have a certain fascination…”
As Henry Kissinger said about the Iran/Iraq war, “it’s a pity they can’t both lose”.
I think we need to follow the “Trump rule” here: anyone accused of this many crimes MUST be guilty, and shoudl be booted out of office.
Right?
Hildago is an intellectual lightweight who is in WAY over her head — she had zero managerial experience before becoming what amounts to the CEO of Harris County, a job that requires some serious managerial chops.
I suspect that as some of her cronies realize that they are heading to prison, we’ll start seeing a lot of other shoes dropping as they turn on her to save their skins. And by making an enemy of Kim Ogg (who’s a political hack from a long line of political hacks), Hildago can’t count on the Harris County dem party to save her.
Hildago can’t count on the Harris County dem party to save her.
I think Hildago was put in the position precisely because she was a lightweight that could be controlled by others like Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia, and could take the fall if anyone got caught. After all, they are but Commissioners without power, unlike the County Judge.
[…] and jailed, and The warehouse where the Cuban dictatorship stores all its atrocities BattleSwarm: More Legal Trouble For Harris County Democratic Judge Lina Hidalgo, Israel Derezzes Hamas, Hezbollah Tron, and Breaking: Paxton Sues Pfizer Behind The Black: ESA […]
[…] more on ethics complaints against Hidalgo, see here. And here. And here. And here. And […]