After the news of charges being filed against Barbie Robinson, the former executive director of Harris County Public Health who was previously fired, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has publicly criticized District Attorney Kim Ogg for her handling of the situation.
KPRC 2 reported on Monday afternoon that Robinson is now facing charges of felony misuse of official information. Currently, she is not in custody and there is an active warrant for her arrest.
Harris County Public Health Executive Director Barbie Robinson has been “fired” from her role.
In March of 2021, Robinson was chosen to head the county’s health department. Before her appointment in Houston, she served as the director of Sonoma County’s Department of Health Services in California for four years.
Court records indicate that Robinson, who was serving as a public servant, allegedly assisted International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in obtaining financial benefits by sharing confidential information and facilitating sole-source contracts. The alleged activities took place between April 2021 and November 2021.
During her time in Sonoma County, the investigation uncovered her previous association with IBM and the existence of emails that indicated potential collaboration for a public contract in Harris County. This case has brought attention to the need for transparency and effective oversight in county operations.
Ogg is scheduled to hold a news conference on Tuesday afternoon to provide details about the charges against Robinson.
Hidalgo’s response to Ogg
This Article Includes
Hidalgo responded to the allegations against Robinson in a statement, refuting the claims and highlighting that the accusations made against Robinson are similar to those previously made against her former staff members by Ogg.
In response to Ogg’s prosecution against Robinson, Hidalgo issued the following statement:
“Kim Ogg’s attack on Barbie Robinson mirrors the false accusations that were made against my former staff members by Ogg herself. However, after three years, there is still no evidence to support these claims. As we have previously stated, my team did nothing wrong, and Ogg’s accusations are filled with falsehoods. Despite being voted out of office, Kim Ogg continues to wield her power against those who disagree with her, such as Director Robinson, who led a successful program that Ogg disapproved of. It’s important to note that only the prosecution, not the defense, presents to Harris County Grand Juries, making it convenient for Ogg to secure these unjust indictments.”
The county judge is mentioning the indictment of three senior staffers for her office.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s staffers recommended Elevate Strategies, a one-person organization, despite other entities scoring higher on internal evaluations. Surprisingly, Elevate Strategies was awarded the multi-million dollar contract by the county.
According to Harris County legal records, the cases of Triantaphyllis, Nader, and Dunn have been progressing slowly through the Harris County judicial system. This is mainly because the defense teams have been requesting multiple hearings to be reset.
According to the District Clerk’s Office, the cases that were investigated by Texas Rangers and resulted in indictments by a Harris County grand jury are still progressing in Harris County. The next hearing is scheduled for May 13.
KPRC 2 Investigates
Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey from Precinct 3 shared his thoughts with KPRC 2 Investigates when Robinson was terminated, emphasizing that he has had concerns for a significant period of time.
Ramsey released the following statement on Monday:
“I have been worried about the effectiveness of ACCESS Harris as we have invested more than $25 million to assist only a little over 1,200 individuals. Now, with the introduction of this new aspect to the ACCESS Harris and IBM agreement, I truly hope we can uncover the truth behind it.”
Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia released the following statement:
“I cannot comment on whether the former director is guilty or innocent, but during her time, there were multiple agreements, including the IBM contract, that raised significant concerns for me. I openly addressed these concerns in public meetings, and I remain committed to safeguarding the interests of the taxpayers in Harris County.”
Documents detail allegations against Barbie Robinson
IBM was required to provide documents and communications between them and Robinson during her tenure as the executive director of HCPH until she was terminated in August.
According to public documents in Harris County, it was discovered that Access Harris also utilized IBM as a key vendor after Robinson’s arrival. These records revealed that Harris County had initially granted IBM around $16 million for an “enabling technology solution” for Access Harris, as read by the affiant from the county administrator’s database.
IBM e-mails between IBM employee Kenneth Wolsey and non-IBM employees Ronish Lal, Carolyn Staats, and Robinson were collected by investigators. The emails reportedly contained discussions about sole-source contracts.
Robinson had previously worked with IBM on Access Sonoma and was interested in implementing a similar program in Harris County.
According to investigators, it is believed that Robinson maintained communication with IBM after starting her job in Harris County. Email evidence suggests that Robinson attempted to collaborate with IBM to secure the public contract without considering other potential sources. Court documents further indicate that confidential information may have been shared with unauthorized individuals.
According to documents, it is evident that IBM had prior knowledge of the project’s extent and had already commenced work on it even before the bidding process commenced. This is further highlighted by the fact that IBM was able to showcase its Access-enabling technologies during its strategic planning workshop in the months leading up to the technology Request For Proposal.
Read More:
- Authorities arrest 7 men for stealing $6.2M in electronics from North Texas warehouses
- Store Clerk Fights Off Armed Robbery Attempt Near Downtown Houston
