HOUSTON, TX (Covering Katy News) - Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's attacks on District Attorney Kim Ogg escalated this week with a profane laced accusation that the DA is blackmailing members of Commissioners Court which, if true, would be a crime.
"I don't know what the f**k she's threatened you with," Hidalgo told Commissioners Court.
Her outburst came during a routine discussion about a youth-at-risk youth program. Hidalgo's comments came after a suggestion that the DA's and Sheriff's offices could be tasked with running the program, and she did not agree with that suggestion.
Hidalgo has been frequently accused of making inappropriate comments about the District Attorney, but the most recent outburst was also an attack on fellow Democrat, Commissioner Adrian Garcia.
Hidalgo has spent more than a year attacking Ogg, who is also a Democrat. Hidalgo is upset because a district attorney's investigation led to the indictment of three of her staffers on charges of rigging an $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract.
Since the investigation, Hidalgo has made numerous public statements criticizing Ogg. Eventually, Ogg responded to Hidalgo when she became concerned that the County Judge was purposely trying to influence the trial's outcome by influencing the people selected to serve as jurors.
"The nearly daily public misstatements being made by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo about pending felony cases brought against three members of her staff now compel comment to the public by this office and by me, the top law enforcement official in Harris County," Ogg said in May of 2022. "Failing to do so allows a top county official, in her official capacity, to continue to improperly influence those people of Harris County who will serve on the jury in this case. This harms everyone, including the accused, and must stop."
Ogg has stayed silent on the most recent critical outburst by Hidalgo, as have all the Democratic members of Commissioners Court including Garcia. The only Republican on Commissioners Court says Hidalgo should apologize.
“You owe commissioner Garcia an apology, and you owe the rest of us an apology," Commissioner Tom Ramsey told Hidalgo.
Instead of issuing an apology, the meeting continued as if nothing had happened.
Click here for the video. Be aware that Judge Lina Hidalgo used the F-word in the video, so the video is not suitable for all audiences.