KPRC-2 reports that the Harris County District Attorney’s office will be starting over with the investigation of financial irregularities in the Mayor Pro Tem’s office:
The Harris County district attorney said the investigation into the City Hall bonus scandal would have to start all over again, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.
The Office of the Investigator General conducted the initial investigation into the improper bonuses that four employees of the Mayor Pro Tem’s Office received.
District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said the investigation his office’s investigation into the incident will start from the beginning since the OIG’s investigation was not as beefed up as it could have been.
“They didn’t do a criminal investigation so we’re basically going to have to start from scratch. They can’t investigate elected officials, but there are people with (the Houston Police Department) that are able to do that,” Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal said his office would investigate every city office and employee, elected or appointed.
More and more, the OIG investigation seems simply to have provided political cover for the administration, perhaps with the hope that the issue would die for lack of public and/or media interest. Clearly, that didn’t happen, and a more thorough investigation will now take place.
UPDATE: KHOU-11’s Doug Miller also reported on the investigation last night. The travel of former Councilmember Orlando Sanchez may be drawing attention, according to Miller.
