Lina Hidalgo, a judge in Harris County, Texas, got herself embroiled in an ethics scandal after it was confirmed that she broke state campaign laws by using public funds to endorse a Democratic candidate, leading to a $500 penalty and adding to a growing list of controversies and legal issues that have followed the judge for the last several years.
For background, on June 26, 2024, press accounts confirmed that Judge Lina Hidalgo of blue Harris County, Texas, was found in violation of state law when she openly endorsed Sean Teare, a candidate running against District Attorney Kim Ogg. After she made her endorsement, the Texas Ethics Commission determined that Judge Hidalgo’s behavior was tantamount to political advertising at the expense of taxpayers, as the press conference was publicly funded.
During the press conference, which took place at the Harris County Administration building, Hidalgo ripped into DA Kim Ogg, a Democrat who has frequently butted heads with the judge in the past. Judge Hidalgo said, “I’m ready to take her on March 5th, and I’m so excited to know that she’s got such a fantastic opponent.”
Continuing, Judge Hidalgo referred to Teare as “well respected” and “very experienced” during the press conference after criticizing Ogg, who had previously filed a criminal indictment against three former members of Hidalgo’s staff and accused them of unlawful political interference. Judge Hidalgo reportedly responded by saying, “This is just the same dirty politics she’s been playing at for years, and her patterns are extremely clear. There’s a lot of evidence of that.”
In addition, Hidalgo defended her decision to speak up against Ogg in public, saying, “It’s no coincidence this comes out in the middle of, now, her re-election and one that’s not going well for her.” She added, “She’s up for election March 5 and I happen to know her opponent, Sean Teare. He is a well-respected, very experienced, strong opponent who not only just released a poll showing that he’s ahead, but he has severely outraised her.”
Moreover, after the Ethics Commission hit her with a fine, Hidalgo responded on social media by saying that she had “responded to false allegations against my office” during the press conference, adding, “It is part of my job to defend the integrity of my office.” She continued, “The Commission asked for a $500 penalty after recognizing the situation was a minimal issue.”
Furthermore, Judge Hidalgo said that she was “confident that everything I did and said was appropriate,” clarifying that “rather than spending many thousands of dollars and precious time, we agreed to a minimal settlement so that I can focus my energy on the needs of Harris County.” In response to her post, X users ripped into the judge, with one writing, “If there was no merit we wouldn’t be here liar.”
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More recently, Judge Hidalgo landed in even more hot water in May 2025 after she requested over $20,000 in taxpayer dollars to finance a trip to Paris with several members of her staff for the supposed purpose of fostering economic development. However, other Harris County officials disputed her proposal, and she resorted to using personal campaign funds to go to Paris.
Featured image credit: Judge Lina Hidalgo via X