Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo finds herself at the center of a scandal that rocked her administration. The far-left judge, known for her stringent COVID rules, is now embroiled in a controversy involving an $11 million vaccine contract.
The saga began when Hidalgo abruptly canceled the hefty contract after it was revealed that it was awarded to a one-person firm with no prior experience.
This raised eyebrows and led to a flurry of questions about the legitimacy of the deal. The contract was intended for vaccine outreach, a critical task during the ongoing pandemic, making the choice of an inexperienced firm even more questionable.
Word on the street is that Lina Hidalgo is planning on resigning. pic.twitter.com/WxgDVuIPZL
— Merissa Hansen (@merissahansen17) August 24, 2023
Adding fuel to the fire, Hidalgo’s Chief of Staff Alex Triantaphyllis, Policy Director Wallis Nader, and co-defendant Aaron Dunn were charged with misuse of official information and tampering with government documents.
These charges are connected to the canceled vaccine outreach contract, further implicating Hidalgo’s office in this scandal.
As if the corruption charges weren’t enough, rumors have been swirling about Hidalgo’s potential resignation. Fox 26 Houston reported that these rumors triggered hundreds of phone calls, all met with a ‘flat denial’ from Hidalgo’s spokespeople.
However, the fact that federal authorities initiated their own inquiry into Hidalgo’s alleged bid-rigging adds weight to these rumors.
Earlier this month, Hidalgo announced she would be taking a leave of absence to seek treatment for clinical depression.
She stated, “Based on my doctor’s recommendation, I checked myself into an out-of-state facility to receive inpatient treatment in late July.” She expressed her intention to confront this issue swiftly and hoped to resume her normal schedule by early September.
How much has @HoustonChron invoiced Harris County since Lina Hidalgo, declared she checked herself into an OUT OF STATE, in-patient mental faculty? Are we talking pre-midterm Oct 2022 , over 400K in a month? pic.twitter.com/pKDwYjgGij
— CLC2020 (@CLC1113) August 24, 2023
However, as September approaches, the rumors of her resignation have only intensified. Her office is deeply entangled in the bid-rigging scandal and her top three staffers were indicted in April 2022.
Prosecutors expanded the investigation into the $11 million ‘vaccine outreach contract’ awarded to one of the judge’s political cronies, further tarnishing Hidalgo’s reputation.
While Hidalgo was threatening to jail and fine people for violating her Covid rules, she was allegedly trying to award one of her political cronies an $11 million ‘vaccine outreach’ contract.
This stark contrast between her public stance and private actions has left many questioning her integrity and leadership.
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