Ogg: 'I will not try this case in the court of public opinion'

Harris County District Attorney (DA) Kim Ogg has countered Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's assertions that a potential indictment of her in an ongoing criminal investigation into the county's failed $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract would be politically motivated, per reports from Houston-based media outlets.

Hidalgo, a Democrat, has taken to social media to lob criticisms at Ogg, who's also a Democrat. The DA, in turn, has called on the 31-year-old county judge to cease what she labelled "nearly daily public misstatements," according to Houston FOX affiliate KRIV.

"We do not fight out our differences in the streets or on social media and I will not try this case in the court of public opinion," Ogg said, according to KRIV.

Last year, county leaders approved and then voided the contract upon revelations that the awardee supposedly received advanced notice of the agreement, the Houston Daily reported.

According to the publication, Texas Rangers executed search warrants in March at the Harris County Administration Building – where the county judge's office is housed – and other county facilities as part of the probe.

Three senior members of Hidalgo's staff were handed down felony indictments for misuse of official information and tampering with records, the Houston Daily reported.

In a batch of tweets, Hidalgo, the first female and Latina Harris County judge, accused Ogg of pursuing "a political vendetta under the guise of a criminal investigation."

"She'll have me indicted," the county judge tweeted. "Or name a 'special prosecutor'—an illusion of independence since those are still beholden to the DA."

Ogg warned that Hidalgo's remarks could prove problematic to the investigation, according to Houston CBS affiliate KHOU.

"Failing to do so allows a top county official, in her official capacity, to continue to improperly influence those people of Harris County who will serve on the jury in this case," the DA said, KHOU reported. "This harms everyone, including the accused, and must stop."

Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that Ogg said the case "is the search for truth" and not a debatable matter.

"Our work continues," she said, the station reported.

Hidalgo up to this point hasn't been implicated in the investigation nor do signs show she'll be indicted, according to KTRK.