When we asked Ann Eagleton how many times the DA’s office had contacted her since filing a report, Eagleton made a gesture with her hand and said, “Zero times.”
Parents question whether Harris County DA’s Office is truly investigating HISD over electioneering complaintsSeniors stranded in Mont Belvieu apartments due to chronic elevator failures– Houston mothers tell 2 Investigates they have not heard a word from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Division after they filed legal complaints into the Houston Independent School District for alleged electioneering.
When we asked Ann Eagleton how many times the DA’s office had contacted her since filing a report, Eagleton made a gesture with her hand and said, “Zero times.” We spoke with multiple mothers who showed us their detailed complaints. In the case of Heather Golden her complaint, approximately 15 pages, took nearly six hours to complete. Golden said she filed it in late February and to this day she has heard, “Nothing, I’ve heard nothing.” When making a complaint, the DA’s office makes one thing clear on Page 3 of its “Public Integrity Official Sworn Submissions Instructions” form by writing, “As soon as your reports have been reviewed, we will notify you as to what action may be taken on your case.” The silence is frustrating according to parents, many of them going through this legal process for the very first time. We asked Golden what prompted her to file a complaint? “Well your reporting and Sean Teare saying send it to me on air, so we said ok,” said Golden referencing our series of investigative reports that included an interview with Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare back on February 6th. More than 30 Houstonians email Harris Co. DA demanding investigation into $2M campaign for failed school bond What is electioneering? State law says it is the act of using taxpayers’ dollars to advocate for or against a political measure.. It was in January when 2 Investigates first asked Superintendent Mike Miles about spending nearly $1.5 million taxpayer dollars to hire a communications firm specializing in government relations and campaigns to support last November’s $4.4 billion bond. HISD had initially budgeted two million dollars. At the time former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, Ryan Patrick told us, “That support word, that’s a big problem.” Texas AG accuses Houston ISD of ‘electioneering’ during $4.4 billion bond campaign, threatens legal action We took our findings to State Senator Mayes Middleton who told us, “It’s obvious that they are advocating for the bond.” For our latest report, we asked DA Teare to sit down with us and talk about where things stood with the investigation.. Instead the DA’s office made Brent Chapell, head of Public Integrity, available who told us public integrity cases are “incredibly significant” to his office. During the interview, Chapell revealed the state was brought in to work the investigation with his team, “The Texas Rangers, the public corruption unit within the Texas Rangers is working this investigation with our assistants.” The prosecutor made it very clear who exactly was in charge, “Remember the Texas Rangers are leading this investigation,” said Chapell. One problem. We emailed the Texas Rangers in July about what the DA’s office told 2 Investigates and they told us they are not the lead agency, adding “no investigation has been launched at this time”. We asked Patrick, who as U.S. Attorney worked extensive investigations with the Rangers and the DA’s office, who is investigating? “It appears nobody,” said Patrick, now an attorney with Haynes Boone who added, “The most charitable explanation is this is terrible communication, bad miscommunication and these errors not getting cleared up,” that is best case scenario.We went back to DA Teare’s office giving him another opportunity to weigh-in even showing his team our email from the Rangers telling us that no investigation has been launched.His spokesperson told us in writing, “How the Rangers designate their involvement is up to them”. Although Teare is not talking to 2 Investigates, Houstonians who he swore to uphold the law for, are speaking with us, “What is the purpose of the integrity group if not to investigate these kinds of things,” said Golden. Eagleton’s take? “This is how you make sure you get nothing done and make things go away, you just hope that people will forget.” Since our investigation into what is now a $1.6 million expenditure by HISD tied to the group they hired, Outreach Strategists, we have requested to interview Mike Miles six times. To this day, his team has kept 2 Investigates away, calling our investigation, “irresponsibly inaccurate”. Miles did sit down with KPRC 2 News anchor Andy Cerota recently who asked about the electioneering allegations, “I feel really confident that there is no inappropriate action taken by anybody in the district and we’ll just let that claim play out,” said Miles. 2 Investigates will continue following not only the criminal investigation but also the Texas Education Agency investigation that remains ongoing according to a spokesperson for the agency.Journalistic bulldog focused on accountability and how government is spending your dollars. Husband to Wonder Woman, father to a pitcher and two Cavapoos. Prefers queso over salsa.
Harris County District Attorney's Office Investigates Sean Teare Mike Miles Bond Money
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