This page is a site run by Trent Seibert, the founder of Texas Watchdog, who is now the editor of The Texas Monitor.
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https://texasmonitor.org/houston-post-oak-boulevard-bus-project-over-budget/
HOUSTON — A project putting dedicated bus lanes down the middle of Post Oak Boulevard — one of the wealthiest stretches of roads in Houston — is $31 million over its original budget. The project is spearheaded by the Uptown Authority and the Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, known as a TIRZ, a...
https://texasmonitor.org/chris-oliver-red-flags/
For years, the rumors persistently followed Houston Community College Trustee Chris Oliver.
That he was dirty. On the take. That he traded for favors on his position as the longest-serving trustee of one of the largest community college systems in the United States.
HOUSTON — For years, the rumors persistently followed Houston Community College Trustee Chris Oliver. That he was dirty. On the take. That he traded for favors on his position as the longest-serving trustee of one of the largest community college systems in the United States. News broke last month a...
Sexting from the bench, drug use and perhaps a coke-using state senator?
https://texasmonitor.org/drugs-s*xting-bench-allegations-state-senator-using-co***ne/
Houston Justice of the Peace Hilary Green should be suspended because of her “outright betrayal of the public’s trust,” according to a filing by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to the Texas Supreme Court.
Burton's bill would require most publicly-funded enterprises, from cities to municipal utility districts, to publish expenditures made for lobbying on their website, and in a report to the Texas Ethics Commission.
https://texasmonitor.org/texas-senator-transparency-must-taxpayer-funded-municipal-lobbying-capitol/
A measure putting a new spotlight the battle against municipal lobbying reform moved a step closer to reality this week, as lawmakers pushed through
Today at the Texas Legislature...
Read what else you're getting for your money at the legislature's half-way point.
https://texasmonitor.org/gotten-texas-legislature-2-million-youve-spent-far/
Some Texas lawmakers travel so much using their campaign finance accounts they put both Carmen Sandiego and Dora the Explorer to shame.
https://texasmonitor.org/campaign-cash-express-mapping-travel-texas-legislator/
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! But it’s not Superman. More likely it is your Texas state legislator jetting to an exotic locate.
A sizable campaign finance fund would make your life a little more pleasurable.
https://texasmonitor.org/campaign-coffers-fund-lavish-lifestyles/
Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series of Texas Monitor investigations into the way campaign funds are used to pad the lifestyles of public officials in Texas.
Curious? Head over to texasmonitor.org
We've got a slew of stories on the site: Legislators who use their campaign finance cash to live high on the hog, the Texas Supreme Court's war on transparency, a lawyer talking about a possible RICO case against the SEIU and much more.
texasmonitor.org
The press release for Texas Watchdog's new project.
he official presser for my new project:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2017
Contact: Trent Seibert / 832-258-6119
Award-winning reporters launch investigative media outlet to cover public integrity in state and local government
The Texas Monitor to report on Texas lawmakers, government officials through digital enterprise journalism
HOUSTON – A small team of award-winning investigative journalists announced today the launch of The Texas Monitor, an independent, non-profit, digital-journalism outlet that will cover public integrity in state and local government.
“Deep-dive, investigative and enterprise journalism is more necessary than ever,” said editor and founder of The Texas Monitor Trent Seibert. “While many news teams still provide superior investigative reporting, newspapers and television news teams have in too many cases cut back on investigating government and chipped away at the critical public service they once delivered. We launched The Texas Monitor to investigate reports about improper actions of our government officials, and to expose breaches of the public trust.”
The Texas Monitor will also highlight the solid, investigative work that is being produced throughout the state.
Seibert most recently served as the investigative producer for Houston’s KTRK-TV ABC-13. He was also the editor and founder of Texas Watchdog.
In addition to its online news articles, The Texas Monitor will deliver investigative, nonpartisan digital journalism through video and radio reports.
Veteran newsman, Chris Marrou, who commanded the anchor chair of San Antonio’s KENS 5-TV for over three decades will serve as anchor for The Texas Monitor News Desk.
“With so many readers now getting their news through social media, we’ll be meeting them there with broadcast reports they aren’t getting anywhere else,” Marrou said. “Few people know what’s happening at their statehouse or their city hall — Texas Monitor will fill that void and provide information that politicians don’t always want you to know.”
To learn more about The Texas Monitor, visit texasmonitor.org.
About The Texas Monitor Team:
Trent Seibert, Editor and founder of The Texas Monitor
Trent is an award-winning editor and reporter who previously worked at The Denver Post, The (Nashville) Tennessean, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. Most recently, he was the investigative producer for Houston’s KTRK-TV ABC-13. He was also the editor and founder of Texas Watchdog, a groundbreaking news group that paved the way for this project. Trent is a teacher of journalism skills, and has shown hundreds of reporters and citizen-journalists how to use public records, databases and journalism tools to keep a watchful eye on their own local government.
Steve Miller, Reporter
Steve is a long-time journalist who previously worked at the Dallas Morning News and the Washington Times, as well as Texas Watchdog. His work has also appeared in the Houston Press, the Dallas Observer, High Times Magazine, and the Fort Worth Weekly. He travels the country writing true crime books. His writing has won awards in national, regional and state contests.
Chris Marrou, Anchor
Chris is the former news anchor for KENS 5-TV in San Antonio. He commanded the anchor chair from 1973 to 2009. He consistently was lauded by the Associated Press for best news-writing awards and was a viewer favorite. He was inducted into the Texas Emmy Silver Circle in 2010. Chris also has a law degree from St. Mary’s University and passed the Texas bar exam in November 2007.
—END—
Please subscribe to the Houston podcast. The guy behind it -- Matt Beasley -- does a great job. I was interviewed by him for his latest podcast about the rise and fall of former Houston Independent School District trustee Larry Marshall. He also featured a lot of the good work of my former colleague ABC13-Ted Oberg.
His podcasts are worth your time.
http://thehpodcast.libsyn.com/
Show about the City of Houston and the Great State of Texas. Host Matt Beasley reports on politics, culture, sports and other interest items related to Houston and Texas.
http://abc13.com/news/testimony-hisd-trustees-unethical-behavior-subtle-didnt-smell-right/1601101/
Although former long-time HISD Trustee Larry Marshall is on trial in a civil bribery case in Federal Court, the district's former head of procurement testified Thursday that the district's culture of bullying and cronyism went beyond the powerful power-br
New information out of the bribery trial of former HISD Trustee Larry Marshall.
http://abc13.com/news/hisd-trustee-met-with-voted-on-vendors/1590542/
Long-time former HISD trustee Larry Marshall would routinely meet with vendors for the Houston Independent School District -- vendors who would hire a friend of Marshall as a consultant, who then kicked back 75 percent of the consultant fee to Marshall
ABC-13 has been following the bribery trial of former HISD Trustee Larry Marshall. See what's happened so far and stay tuned for updates here.
http://abc13.com/briberytrial/
A key problem: While card purchases are limited to $1,000 per transaction, 68 percent of cardholders appear to have circumnavigated that rule by breaking up the transactions into separate purchases.
For example, one card user racked up a $4,000 bill on a restaurant trip, asking the restaurant to break the bill into four, separate $1,000 tabs to get around the $1,000-per-purchase rule.
http://abc13.com/news/cha-ching-hisd-workers-flout-rules-on-district-credit-cards/1471164/
Hundreds of HISD employees are abusing or misusing their district issued procurement cards, according to an internal audit made public Monday.
A Houston cigar bar owned by State Rep. Borris Miles has been open and serving cocktails since 2010 without an occupancy permit and is out of compliance with key city codes.
http://abc13.com/news/top-shelf-treatment-for-state-reps-bar/534848/
A Houston cigar bar owned by State Rep. Borris Miles has been open and serving cocktails since 2010 without an occupancy permit and is out of compliance with key city codes.
The results of an inspector general investigation were released, vindicating "disgruntled" fire inspectors. That investigation came to similar conclusions as ABC-13 investigations did... six months after those reports aired.
http://abc13.com/news/fire-marshals-demotion-comes-in-wake-of-abc-13-city-probes/520771/
The results of a Houston inspector general investigation vindicate "disgruntled" fire inspectors. That investigation came to similar conclusions as the ABC-13 reports, six months after they aired.
Money to repair roads has been available since May, but ABC-13 has learned not only are the potholes are still a problem, they're worse.
http://abc13.com/traffic/cash-is-there-so-why-no-houston-road-repair/503132/
Not only are potholes still a problem after the city promised last year to earmark millions of dollars more to patch craggy roads, the problem is worse. An ABC-13 investigation found that pothole repair is down 45 percent since the new money was allocated
Years of HPD r**e kits have finally been tested but the painful consequences of the DNA delay are just now becoming clearer:
http://abc13.com/news/while-the-dna-sat-alleged-ra**sts-did-not-/496780/
City leaders hailed it as a major victory, but clearing a backlog of decades-old r**e kits broached a harrowing possibility: Many crimes in Houston could've been prevented if the kits were tested from the get-go.
In the two months since announcing he was "damn angry" about an inmate locked in a cell for weeks amid his own f***s, not one member of Garcia's sheriff's department has been disciplined or even temporarily reassigned.
http://abc13.com/news/months-after-filthy-jail-cell-report-no-actions-yet-taken/429120/
Months after Sheriff Garcia said he learned about an inmate locked in a cell for weeks amid bugs and f***s, not one member of the Sheriff's Department has been disciplined or even temporarily reassigned.
State and DoJ inspectors were at Harris Co jail Monday, in part to discuss case of inmate locked in cell for weeks in his own filth. At same time, inmate who had been caught with homemade knives multiple times before stabs jailer in face with shank.
http://abc13.com/news/inmate-stabs-officer-in-face-during-jail-inspection/427821/
State and DoJ inspectors were at Harris Co jail Monday, in part to discuss case of inmate locked in cell for weeks in his own filth. At same time, inmate who had been caught with homemade knives multiple times before stabs jailor in face with shank.
A teacher who has held a Green Card since 1993 was stopped at Bush Intercontinental Airport this summer and detained for three months without bail after a background check revealed several non-violent misdemeanors, some which were two decades old.
http://abc13.com/news/constitution-free-zone-at-iah-kept-teacher-detained-3-months/422772/
Permanent US residents going through Customs can be placed in detention without bond even if they've had minor or decades-old run-ins with the law; those caught sneaking over border often go free on bond.
Constable-turned-felon Victor Trevino's toughest penalty wasn't jail time. It was an order to make a donation to a state-approved charity. After saying last week he would fulfill the wishes of the court, today he says he doesn't want to pay up.
http://abc13.com/news/convicted-constable-fighting-judges-donation-order/409506/
A week after agreeing to "fulfill the wishes of the court," Victor Trevino's attorney says the ex-lawman should not have to pay the $30,000 donation ordered by the judge.
A state bonus program designed to fill vacancies in Texas' high-turnover prisons failed last year to keep nearly half the recruits who got a bonus on the job, an ABC-13 review of records found.
http://abc13.com/news/$4000-up-front-bonus-doesnt-keep-some-prison-guards-long/401368/
Recruits make a year commitment to get the bonus, but money is given to them at the start; in 2013 nearly half left before year was up, taking bonus with them. Taxpayers are owed more than $1.4 million.
The unfolding events in the wake of the La Porte Dupont chemical plant leak Saturday in which four workers died has raised questions about how soon plant officials should have made information available to the public -- and to the families of the deceased.
http://abc13.com/news/timeline-of-dupont-chemical-leak-shows-discrepancies-delays/398683/
DuPont knew by 7am workers had died; didn't tell family members until 2 pm. Company did not tell public until nearly 4:30 pm.
The Houston Office of Inspector General, the city's watchdog to find Houston employees wasting taxpayer dollars and breaking rules, refuses to release any information about its investigations or findings.
http://abc13.com/news/city-of-houston-keeps-secret-investigations-into-own-employees/391027/
The Office of Inspector General, with a $750,000 annual budget, has operated behind closed doors since 2010, when the mayor moved the OIG from under the police department
Tonight at 10 we're airing a report on Eyewitness News and publishing an investigation on ABC13.com looking at local cases involving teachers having s*x with students.
You'll be surprised at some of our findings, which we uncovered after examining nearly 50 cases of teacher s*x going back five years.
http://abc13.com/news/more-teachers-caught-having-s*x-with-students/378885/
The key reason: Kids communicating with teachers under parental radar using chat apps on smart phones. Experts say those apps opens the door to illegal relationships and also secures evidence of the crime.
On the eve of a trial of Victor Trevino, one of Harris County's most prominent law enforcement chief's, a former deputy is alleging retaliation and discrimination in a federal lawsuit and said that Trevino is trying to paint him and others negatively in order to tarnish them as possible witnesses.
http://abc13.com/news/lawsuit-victor-trevino-tainting-potential-witnesses/373882/
Former Harris County Precinct 6 officer alleges retaliation and discrimination in a federal lawsuit; Officer says he was given dishonorable discharge, while officers convicted of murder, drug trafficking given general discharges
The Houston Police Department has just four officers dedicated to checking up on more than 6,000 s*x offenders registered to live in Houston.
See the maps here of the s*xual offenders registered in your neighborhood.
http://abc13.com/news/alleged-hiv-infected-child-ra**st-not-living-where-registered/368678/
There are four police officers to check up on registered s*x offenders like David Richard Wilson or the thousands of others who have served their time for s*xual assault now registered as living in Houston.
The unveiling of the plan, which includes the creation of a new jail inspection bureau and a web portal for inmate family and friends to report problems, came days after ABC-13 reported on the case of Terry Goodwin.
http://abc13.com/news/sheriff-unveils-multi-point-plan-to-improve-jail/334698/
Sheriff Adrian Garcia unveils plan, which includes the creation of a new jail inspection bureau and a web portal for inmate family and friends to report problems, comes days after ABC-13 reported on an inmate left in cell for as long as two months.
After three days of withering criticism over Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia's handling the investigation into how an inmate in need of mental health care was left in his cell for weeks, sheriff department officials have asked the U.S. Department of Justice for help.
http://abc13.com/news/sheriff-requests-help-from-justice-department/333065/
As the Harris County Sheriff's Department continues to takes heat for the condition in which an inmate needing mental health care was found, sheriff's officials call on the U.S. Justice Department for help.
A Harris County jail inmate, jailed on a ma*****na charge while on probation and in need of mental health care, was left in his cell for weeks without being let out, living amid heaps of trash, swarms of bugs, and piles of his own f***s, an ABC-13 investigation has found.
http://abc13.com/news/criminal-investigation-into-harris-co-jail-cell/329850/
Whistleblowers tell ABC-13 an inmate was not let out from his cell in weeks. He was found wearing a filthy, shredded jail uniform among trash, swarms of bugs and piles of his own f***s. Investigation launched only after ABC-13 asked questions.
Katy ISD says ABC-13 can have campaign finance records... for $217
http://abc13.com/education/why-no-campaign-finance-records-on-katy-isd-website/312976/
In the midst of a bond election, Katy ISD makes it difficult for voters to see who is funding the efforts for and against the $748 million bond. KISD says "there is no requirement to post the information."
945 McKinney Street #221
Houston, TX
77002
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