FBI conducts investigation, seizes evidence at Houston Health Department
HOUSTON - After descending on the City of Houston's Health Department Headquarters, a squad of FBI agents, empowered by a warrant, emerged from the building packing half a dozen containers of potential evidence.
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FBI officials confirmed to FOX 26 that they are at the health department's administrative facility on 8000 North Stadium Drive "conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity."
According to the Health Department, the investigation involves "allegations concerning a Health Department marketing vendor and employee conduct."
It's unknown what the allegations are at this time, but the city says it is cooperating with the FBI's investigation by releasing the following statement:
"The FBI executed a search warrant at the Houston Health Department’s administrative offices on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. The investigation involves allegations concerning a Health Department marketing vendor and employee conduct. The City of Houston is fully cooperating and does not comment on ongoing investigations."
Down at City Hall Mayor Sylvester Turner appeared unraveled by the Health Department raid itself or the quantity of evidence seized.
"It doesn't matter whether it's one page, one box or six boxes the City of Houston will fully cooperate," said Turner. "Again the City of Houston has 21,000 thousand employees and what I am told, this involves a City employee and particular vendor....everyone knows what the rules and regulations are, and they should be held to that, and we will see where the investigation goes."
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And while the Mayor downplayed the significance of today's FBI action, his most consistent adversary on City Council predicted additional federal corruption probes are likely.
"Well, I believe you need to get used to it. I believe there's going to be more and more of it the next two years," said Michael Kubosh, Houston City Council Member.
Kubosh says the in-flow of hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal pandemic aid presented plenty of exposure to graft and misappropriation.
"There's always an opportunity for corruption when you are dealing with that kind of money with no oversight from Council at all. So the only oversight is the Mayor. I don't see where the Council has any oversight over these CARE's dollars. We get reports from time to time, but we don't get to see inner-workings of where this money is going and how it's being spent.," said Kubosh.