Texas Judge Flees For “Inpatient Care” While Feds Investigate Wrong Doing

A few weeks ago, a young, Democrat judge in Harris County, Texas, who is under a cloud of suspicion for criminal activity, left her post to seek treatment for depression in an out-of-state location.

She is expected to return to the office in September. However, word on the street is that a federal investigation may trigger her resignation.

Rumors Swirl That Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Will Resign After Checking Into Treatment Facility for Depression – Feds Now Investigating Her Bid-Rigging! via @gatewaypundit https://t.co/oUWio4JSC7

— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) August 29, 2023

The backstory here is about Judge Hidalgo, a rising star in the Democrat party, and her staff awarding contracts during COVID.

Who is Judge Hidalgo and what’s the controversy?

Breitbart reported this:

Hidalgo was 27 years old and had never previously held elected office when she pulled a stunning upset in 2018 to win the top job in one of the nation’s largest counties. A Colombian immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2005, Hidalgo has governed as a progressive in a county that was controlled by Republicans just a decade ago and is seen as an up-and-coming figure in the party.

In Texas, the title of “county judge” is a misnomer. They are not judges in courtrooms but rather presiding officials in their counties who have a big say in spending and are in charge of local emergency response.

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It appears that Hidalgo’s staff was very busy making sweetheart deals with taxpayer money during the COVID debacle, and there remain questions about the judge’s participation.

The Texas Tribune explains about the the staffs’ criminal indictments in Spring, 2022:

Three employees of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo have been indicted by a grand jury on charges related to how they helped award a contract for COVID-19 vaccine outreach last year.

The Harris County district clerk lists two felony counts each for chief of staff Alex Triantaphyllis, policy director Wallis Nader and former policy aide Aaron Dunn. The charges are misuse of official information and tampering with a government record.

The charges add weight to a scandal Hidalgo has attempted to dismiss as politically motivated, and they threaten to tarnish her carefully cultivated image as an ethically minded public servant as she seeks reelection this year. Hidalgo is widely seen as a rising star in the Texas Democratic Party and a future statewide candidate.

Unsurprisingly, Judge Hildago quickly denied her involvement and flipped the script to play the victim of political maneuvering.

As the Texas Tribune continued: “I ran against a style of politics in Harris County that worked more for the individuals who held office than for the people who voted for them,” Hidalgo said. “I don’t play the game. And that’s threatening to the powers that be.”

In 2023, it’s not uncommon for an elected official under fire, and facing questions about something controversial, to “flee for treatment.”

A senator from Pennsylvania who narrowly won his hotly contested race checked out for 6-weeks of treatment shortly after being sworn-in to office.

From the AP:

[Senator] Fetterman checked into Walter Reed on Feb. 15 after weeks of what aides described as Fetterman being withdrawn and uninterested in eating, discussing work or the usual banter with staff.

At the time, Fetterman was barely a month into his service in Washington and still recovering from the aftereffects of the stroke he suffered last May when he went to Walter Reed on the advice of the Capitol physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan.

There remain many questions about Senator Fetterman and his fitness for office. Even questions about his appearance.

Is That John Fetterman or a Body Double? Can You Pass This Test?

But no longer are there questions about his senate race, and how he managed to pull off a seemingly miraculous win.

He shifted the conversation to his mental health.

Is changing the conversation a part of Judge Hildago’s story, too?

It’s been about three weeks since she reportedly left Texas.

It’s unknown at this time whether she will return to her position after treatment or if the rumors are true and she will resign.

Her office denied the resignation rumors.

Either way, the federal investigation into the bid-rigging in Harris County continues.

Let’s hope for some honest answers.