DA Kim Ogg crossed the line in HCC Adriana Tamez case
Share this story:
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s office has crossed the line on the HCC Adriana Tamez case. Why do they even bother to call it the Public Integrity Unit?
Adriana Tamez is a District Trustee on the scandal plagued Houston Community College System. She is elected to represent particular neighborhoods in Southeast Houston District 3.
That’s why it SHOULD matter where she actually lives.
In early December, Dolcefino Consulting filed a criminal complaint with Kim Ogg’s office after verifying allegations Trustee Tamez was actually living in a high rise on Allen Parkway, outside the District she was elected to represent. The video evidence raised serious questions about a 2015 sworn affidavit Tamez signed when she ran for office.
We turned over video surveillance footage, utility records, marriage license application and a sworn affidavit from an employee of Dolcefino Consulting, who supervised the surveillance on Ms. Tamez. The DA’s office acknowledged our complaint by letter and never called us once to discuss it, even to question how we did the surveillance, or found the records.
After just six weeks, which included the long Christmas Holiday, the Chief of the Public Integrity Unit sent us a letter saying there was “insufficient evidence” for perjury or aggravated perjury charges, ignoring the question of where Tamez lives. There would be no grand jury. No strong message that it matters where you live.
Then HCC, through their expensive lawyers, shared with the HCC Board a totally different letter sent to Tamez from Integrity Chief Paula Hartman.
“After a THOROUGH review we find the allegation UNFOUNDED.
“I supervised the surveillance of Ms. Tamez and now demand to see this “thorough” investigation released to the public, says Wayne Dolcefino, President of Dolcefino Consulting. “The Kim Ogg I know promised to take these kinds of cases to a grand jury. Now that her office has attacked the credibility of our complaint, let’s see what the DA’s office bothered to do before clearing this Democratic office holder.”
“I am ready to go the grand jury tomorrow and testify under oath. How about it Ms. Tamez, why don’t you come too, and tell the grand jury where you live”, says Dolcefino. “In the meantime, I challenge Tamez to look her constituents in the eye and tell them where she actually lives.”
HCC trustees have refused to investigate where Tamez lives. The District Attorney has now given them political cover to keep failing in their jobs to protect voters.
We are not surprised.
“A federal judge recently called HCC a cesspool. She was dead on. It is a government agency controlled by a political action committee that wants to make sure Adrian Tamez is there voting their way. It is shameful,” says Dolcefino. “It is more shameful that a Public Integrity Prosecutor would give them cover like this.”
Last week, the HCC Board voted to censure Trustee Dave Wilson, in part for hiring our firm to investigate the waste of taxpayer’s money at HCC. The investigation exposed rampant conflicts of interest and a gravy train for lawyers, but it also verified Wilson’s allegations that Tamez did not live where her sworn affidavit says she lives, certainly not now.
“If it doesn’t matter where politicians live, then let’s just say so. Folks from Kingwood can represent the third ward, and the West side can be represented by a guy who lives in Southeast Houston,” says Dolcefino. “Why don’t we stop pretending these sworn campaign statements mean anything.”
Dolcefino Consulting has also filed a criminal complaint in recent days against Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has been using a law firm server to conduct city business. Ogg has been silent. Instead, she should have already subpoenaed the records if the Mayor won’t turn them over.
Public Integrity matters, at least it should.
Keep up with us on social media:
