HISD loses legal battle to protect Bill King
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For three years, HISD has been fighting to keep a secret. Namely, e-mails exchanged between Bill King and the Superintendent of HISD Schools Terry Grier.
This week HISD lost the battle. The Texas Attorney General says taxpayers have a right to see them.
HISD first claimed releasing the King e-mails would interfere with a corruption case involving former school trustee Larry Marshall. HISD is no longer part of that lawsuit so they couldn’t use that excuse anymore.
This spring the argument changed. HISD now argued the e-mails would disclose legal advice Bill King gave to the Superintendent. You don’t hear it in the Mayoral commercials, but Bill King was paid $52,800 in tax money in 2012 as a governmental relations lawyer for the school district.
“Taxpayers may not have known it, but they paid Bill King to lobby for that huge 2012 HISD Bond Election, yet HISD has fought to keep secret exactly what he did for the money,” says Wayne Dolcefino, President of Dolcefino Consulting. “I think we should know what he did, who he talked to, and whether King was involved in soliciting campaign contributions from contractors.”
It is no secret the FBI has been investigating HISD contracting practices for years. Two years ago, an HISD contractor provided evidence to Dolcefino Consulting of improper payments to Houston School Board Members. That tape recording was also provided to the FB I. Published news reports have explored links between bond contributions and HISD contracts.
It has never been clear why HISD tried to hide Bill King Communications. At the time HISD was being sued by a contractor who claimed at least one school board member was soliciting bribes.
HISD has yet to turn over the e-mails. Stay tuned.
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