On Thursday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo addressed the legal proceedings involving her former staff members. This announcement came as significant developments were unfolding in these cases.
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Recent court records indicate that charges against Aaron Dunn and Wallis Nader have been dismissed. Dunn, a former senior advisor, and Nader, a former policy director, were previously charged with misuse of official information and tampering with government records. These charges have now been officially dropped.
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However, the legal journey continues for Alex Triantaphyllis, Hidalgo’s former chief of staff. The charges against him remain pending, leaving the outcome of his case uncertain.
Triantaphyllis will do a day of community service to have his charges dismissed six months from now, Judge Hidalgo confirmed during the press conference. She added that Triantaphyllis’ cooperation was not an admission of guilt.
During her press conference, Judge Hidalgo came to the defense of her former staff members and condemned the prosecutors, namely former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
Judge Hidalgo also called Ogg a “dirty cop” and said that she wasted “millions of dollars” pursuing these charges.
“Alex, Wallace, and Aaron saw their lives and reputations destroyed... These innocent public servants had the Texas Rangers raid their homes before dawn with police lights on, with their children and families [at] home,”” Judge Hildalgo said.
These legal matters are rooted in a 2022 investigation concerning an $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract awarded to Elevate Strategies. The Texas Rangers have been investigating whether the former staffers disclosed non-public information to Felicity Pereyra, the founder of Elevate Strategies.
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