HOUSTON, Texas – Former Harris County Public Health Director Barbie Robinson is speaking out for the first time since criminal charges were dismissed against her due to a lack of evidence.
Last week, we learned that Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and his office dismissed the felonies against Robinson after determining the state could not “prove any of the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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On November 15, 2024, Robinson was charged with misuse of official information, a third-degree felony. Three additional felonies were charged on December 23, 2024 - tampering with a governmental record, a second-degree felony, and two counts of fraudulent securing of document execution, a first-degree felony.
The charges stemmed from former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s investigation into how county contracts were awarded to IBM and DEMA Management and Consulting.
According to Ogg, Robinson had a relationship with the companies, and alleged emails suggested collaboration for a public contract in Harris County.
Teare dismissed those claims, saying that there was no evidence that Robinson obtained any personal or monetary benefit from how the contracts were awarded, nor was there any evidence proving that Robinson deceived, coerced, or defrauded the county through the contract process.
In her statement, Robsinson called out Ogg, saying the former DA galslit the public in an effort to push a personal, political vendetta.
“It is so unfortunate and devastating that innocent people have become a casualty of former DA Ogg’s war of political retribution,” Robinson’s statement read, in part
Ogg was also called out by other Harris County politicians, including Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who said there’s a special place in hell for the former DA, and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who called out Ogg for targeting people who challenge the status quo, especially people of color.
Ogg, meanwhile, maintained her sentiments toward Robinson’s case, via a statement on her Facebook page, calling Teare’s dismissal in part “a deliberate obstruction of justice.”
Robinson’s full statement:
“For 30 years, I have been a faithful public servant working to advance public health under elected officials of both parties. I proudly served as a career civil service employee under President George W. Bush, a Republican, and President Obama, a Democrat. At no point in my career have I been involved in politics.
“I came to Harris County a complete stranger to the jurisdiction and its political players. I took my responsibilities to serve the residents of Harris County with the utmost respect and honor. I was selected because of my successful track record of implementing effective programs to address the myriad essential public health needs of the residents of the County. Among my accomplishments, I stabilized the county’s response to COVID, implemented evidence-based and successful violence prevention programming, addressed the alarming and preventable epidemic of Black infant and maternal mortality, as well as transformed the county’s public health department to be a high performing department. And while this work has been positively recognized by many in Harris County and the country, I’m most proud of the recognition by the residents of the differences these programs and services have made in their lives.
“Unfortunately, the former DA, Kim Ogg, is gaslighting the public regarding her efforts to push a personal, political vendetta. This pattern has been reported and recognized by others. In my case, all evidence was reviewed by the current DA, who dismissed these charges for lack of evidence, stating publicly that the state could not prove any of these claims in a court of law. It is so unfortunate and devastating that innocent people have become a casualty of former DA Ogg’s war of political retribution. Her most recent pronouncements to the press are attempts to save face with the public and to deflect from the fact that she spent taxpayers dollars on these baseless charges. I encourage the public to think deeply and dig into Ogg’s real rationale behind her charges. While of course I am glad that the charges have been dismissed and have been correctly recognized as baseless by local leaders and the media alike, this attack on my character and professional reputation has caused lasting harm not only to me but my entire family. I must now begin the lengthy process of repairing.”