Ex DA accuses current DA of 'cover-up' after charges were dropped against former Harris Co. official
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is firing back after the current D.A., Sean Teare, dismissed bid-rigging cases against a high-ranking county official, who was fired amid a scandal.
It is the latest in an ongoing saga, pitting Ogg against Teare and those who endorsed him in the election that would cost her her job.
"I think what we're seeing is real quid pro quo status," Ogg told ABC13 in an on-camera interview Friday night. "It's an absolute cover-up."
Ogg was responding to the collapse of the criminal cases against Barbie Robinson.
The former Harris County Public Health Director, who was once facing four felony indictments related to an alleged contract bidding scheme, is now off the hook, and Ogg said it is just payback.
"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," explained Ogg.
Robinson had been charged with misusing official information, tampering with government records, and fraudulently securing a document execution.
The video above is from a previous report.
The charges were tied to an alleged $40 million effort to steer taxpayer money to two different companies, including IBM.
On Friday, the Harris County District Attorney's Office announced it found no evidence Robinson did anything wrong, citing some the following reasons:
- No evidence that Robinson obtained any tangible personal or monetary benefit from how these contracts were awarded.
- No evidence to prove that there was any attempt to deceive, coerce, defraud, or harm the county by Robinson through the contract award process.
- Robinson's previous relationships with IBM and DEMA were well-known and not actively concealed during the contract award process.
"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.
Charging documents alleged Robinson had back-door deals with IBM to create an outreach program called Access, which cost taxpayers millions of dollars more because the next highest bidder proposed a much cheaper bid.
"A grand jury felt there was sufficient evidence. The prosecutors who filed the cases thought there was sufficient evidence, and I can tell you I've seen the evidence. It's communications between IBM executives and Barbie Robinson offering both she and her husband extra employment during the period when the contract was not released and not yet given," Ogg said.
Ogg has been accused of using her position to prosecute political enemies for years. Three former staffers of County Judge Lina Hidalgo were charged with similar crimes that were mostly dismissed by the Texas Attorney General's Office. Then, there's the Robinson prosecution. The case was filed just 6 weeks before Ogg left office and indicted just two days before her final day.
"So the timing was just coincidental," asked reporter Jessica Willey.
"The timing of it was based on access to the evidence and the complaints that were made," Ogg responded.
Friday, statements from both Teare's office and Hidalgo again said the cases were rooted in politics. Hidalgo endorsed Teare in the D-A's primary against Ogg.
And Ogg suggested the dismissals were part of the deal to protect people higher than Robinson.
"I am the former chief law enforcement in Harris County and those type of allegations unfortunately reflect our reality today," Ogg replied when asked about the seriousness of the allegations.
Reiterating their position, Rafael Lemaitre, a spokesperson with the D.A.'s office, told ABC13, "This decision was made solely on the evidence and the law. The reason no one can point to evidence of political gamesmanship is because this administration has removed politics from prosecution."
As for Robinson, she was eventually fired after the Houston Chronicle raised questions about the alleged scheme.
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