Former health chief faces new felony charges over alleged financial misconduct

Harris County Public Health's former executive director, Barbie Robinson, faces serious charges related to a scheme involving approximately $40 million in taxpayer funds. On Monday, the Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced that Robinson was charged with two first-degree felonies and a state jail felony.

Ogg emphasized the impact of corruption on the community: “People hate corruption because any misuse of tax dollars is an affront to our entire community,” she said. “Now that more evidence of corruption has come to light in this case, more charges have been filed.”

Robinson's charges include two first-degree felonies for fraudulent securing of document execution valued at $300,000 or more under Texas Penal Code Section 32.46. If convicted, she could face up to 99 years or life imprisonment. Additionally, she is charged with tampering with a governmental record, which carries a penalty of up to two years in state jail. These charges add to a third-degree felony charge from last month for misuse of official information related to bid-rigging schemes.

Robinson joined Harris County in 2021 after working in Sonoma County, California, where she developed a social-safety-net program integrating various county services using specialized software. This program was intended for implementation in Harris County through an open bidding process as per Texas law. However, Robinson allegedly collaborated with IBM before bidding began to give them an unfair advantage.

She participated in the committee that awarded IBM the contract despite other vendors offering significantly lower bids—one as low as $2 million compared to IBM's over $30 million bid. Robinson reportedly used COVID-19 recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan to pay IBM.

Additionally, Robinson helped secure an $8 million contract for DEMA Consulting & Management, a one-person firm based in California. The firm's owner allegedly offered Robinson and her husband jobs in exchange for their assistance.

Robinson's employment with Harris County Public Health ended on August 30 this year. The latest charges were filed by the Public Corruption Division of the DA’s Office alongside the Texas Rangers and follow initial charges from November 15 concerning her involvement in the IBM scheme.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Eber stated: “This is a case where a public official took advantage of her authority to play favorites,” emphasizing that procurement processes are governed by state law for fairness.

The DA’s Office has pursued several public corruption cases under Ogg’s leadership:

- Involving employees at the Harris County Tax Office accused of participating in tax-avoidance schemes.

- A teacher-certification cheating ring within the Texas Education Agency.

- Misuse of funds meant for affordable housing by officials at Midtown Redevelopment Authority.

- Fraudulent activities within Houston Water Department contracts.

- Steering COVID-19 contracts towards preferred firms by staffers at Harris County Judge’s Office.

- Voter fraud allegations against activist Steven Hotze and investigator Mark Aguirre.

These cases underscore ongoing efforts by authorities to uphold justice and integrity within public service operations.