HOUSTON – There are big developments stemming from the KPRC 2 ‘DRAINED’ investigation into the city of Houston water department.
Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Attorney Kim Ogg say former city employees and contractors are charged with corruption.
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We first told you last November about millions of dollars in emergency water line repair contracts given to city employees and their relatives. Former Mayor Sylvester Turner told KPRC 2 at that time the city’s Office of Inspector General was investigating.
Mayor Whitmire and Ogg spoke about the corruption charges at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Here’s a timeline of the KPRC 2 ‘DRAINED’ Investigation into questionable contracts
November 16, 2023: Millions of dollars in questionable Houston water department contracts uncovered by KPRC 2 Investigates
November 30, 2023: Houston Public Works employees out of work after KPRC 2 Investigation exposes millions in fraudulent contracts
December 5, 2023: ‘We really sat in our trucks, watched YouTube’: City contractor comes forward on questionable water repair contracts
December 18, 2023: Suspended water employee authorized $116K payment to her brother after city of Houston started investigation
December 20, 2023: DRAINED: Who is investigating questionable city contracts? What is the Office of the Inspector General?
*Kim Ogg spoke with Amy Davis about the coming charges. She credits KPRC 2 with bringing this to light. Check out part of that interview here.
What is the KPRC 2 ‘DRAINED’ Investigation?
The ‘DRAINED’ investigation is about much more than contracts. It started nearly two years ago as investigator Amy Davis and producer Andrea Slaydon started looking into inaccurate and outrageous water bills for Houstonians. Fast forward to 2024, and the new Houston Mayor enacted sweeping changes to the water bill system. Customers will now pay an average usage fee until it is confirmed that their water meter sensor is updated and working properly. (More on what the changes mean to you here.)
While digging for information into the city’s Public Works Department, investigator Amy Davis uncovered details of the questionable Public Works contracts. She spent months digging for answers and eventually released the investigation into the contracts including all of the players involved.
The ‘DRAINED’ investigation has always been about transparency with the city regarding both customer water bills and contracts dealing with the water department.
What’s next? You better believe that Investigator Amy Davis and the team will stay on this for you until we get all the answers you deserve!