Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has been slapped with an ethics fine after endorsing a political candidate during what was supposed to be a nonpartisan press conference at the county administration building. The Texas Ethics Commission has determined that Hidalgo's actions violated state law by using public funds in the course of her endorsement, as reported by The Texas Tribune.
During the November press conference, intended to inform the public, Hidalgo praised Sean Teare, the challenger to incumbent District Attorney Kim Ogg in the Democratic primary, saying, "I’m ready to take her on March 5th and I’m so excited to know that she’s got such a fantastic opponent." Ogg's office had been notably entangled with Hidalgo's, having sought a criminal indictment against three of her former aides. These aides were accused of improperly steering a contract to a political consulting firm, with their cases still pending.
In the face of a complaint that accused her of misusing county resources for political gain, Hidalgo has agreed to pay a $500 fine, according to a resolution the Commission issued this Tuesday. Efforts to reach Hidalgo's office for comment were met with silence, as a representative did not immediately return a request for a statement.
Amid the turmoil, Teare won the Democratic primary and is now set to go head-to-head against Republican Dan Simons in the upcoming November election. Teare, as Hidalgo mentioned in the contested press conference, is expected to recuse the district attorney's office from the case involving Hidalgo's former staffers, a case that has been shifted to the purview of the Texas Attorney General's Office—under Republican leadership—as per a maneuver by Ogg aimed at preserving the investigation's momentum post her tenure.
The administrative skirmish between Texas Democrats and Republicans in Harris County has become something of a trademark, as the GOP has repeatedly aimed their political artillery at initiatives rolled out by the now-Democratic leaning county. This includes their probe into Harris County's election-related efforts in 2020 and disputes over approaches to public safety funding. On another contentious battleground, Harris County's initiative to provide a basic income to its poorest families has also found itself under the judicial microscope, with the Texas Supreme Court signaling disfavor towards the program.
