Posted on 12/09/2004 12:04:19 PM PST by weegee
Bribe charge sparks city probe
Allegations against ex-official spur wide review of airport, energy service contracts
City officials began a review of airport and energy services contracts Wednesday after learning that an Ohio consultant linked to federal bribery allegations against former Houston Parks Director Oliver Spellman won a shuttle bus contract at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
"I've asked the city attorney to investigate based on the information we have received from the federal district attorney," Mayor Bill White said.
He said City Attorney Arturo Michel will prepare a memo to the city's office of inspector general on issues that might require further investigation.
Administration officials emphasized that the shuttle contract was awarded by a consortium that operates under city contract at the airport, and not by the city itself.
Spellman was charged Tuesday in Ohio with accepting bribes in exchange for helping a Cleveland man identified as "Consultant #1" who was seeking business opportunities in Houston.
The charge against Spellman is part of a continuing investigation that already has resulted in the bribery indictment of a Cleveland city councilman and conviction of the former East Cleveland mayor.
Spellman is accused of accepting $2,000 to $3,000 cash and a Las Vegas hotel stay in exchange for his help, according to the criminal information document setting out the charges. The document does not identify "Consultant #1," but other evidence in the wide-ranging Cleveland investigation indicates he is Nate Gray, a politically connected Cleveland consultant and businessman.
Gray owns Etna Parking, which has a piece of the contract for shuttling car-rental customers at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
White and airport officials said Etna's contract was a private one with a consortium of rental car companies that have city contracts to operate out of a new rental car facility at Intercontinental.
The charges against Spellman also say he helped Consultant #1 to "obtain favorable consideration from a city of Houston official who was selecting a vendor to provide energy services."
White said he did not know who the unnamed city official might be.
Michel said he is looking into the energy contract in question, which Gray did not win for his client.
White said the charges against Spellman "came as a complete surprise."
Spellman served as parks director for four years and as former Mayor Lee Brown's chief of staff in 2002, but did not work for the city during White's administration.
Spellman most recently worked as a deputy to County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia. He resigned that job abruptly Friday, and Garcia has asked County Attorney Mike Stafford to review about a dozen contracts Spellman handled.
Brown said he first learned of the charges against Spellman on Tuesday night.
"I was not aware of any wrongdoing on his behalf," Brown said. "I hope the charges are not true. My administration had as one of its hallmarks ethics and integrity. Nothing that was unethical or illegal would be tolerated by my administration."
Brown said he has not spoken to Spellman since he was charged in the bribery case.
Calls to Spellman's home were not returned Wednesday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Cleveland filed a motion Tuesday to transfer Spellman's case to the same judge who handled the case of former East Cleveland Mayor Emmanuel Onunwor, who is scheduled to be sentenced next week for accepting bribes in return for funneling contracts to two Gray associates.
The motion states that Consultant #1 in the information against Spellman is the same person referred to as "Intermediary #1" in the Onunwor case. During the trial of that case, investigators testified that Gray was the intermediary who bribed Onunwor.
Gray has not been charged.
Spellman, who was parks director in Cleveland before coming to Houston in 1998, was charged with one count of criminal conspiracy to obtain bribes as a public official, an offense carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
How about an investigation into some of the Brown admnistration real corruption. I won't wait on the Comical to investigate and report on the topic.
LOST TO PUBLIC SERVICE Ex-city parks director troubled tale of gifted bureaucrat's self-destruction
To keep up to date on this story (and read some background) I recommend using keyword: Oliver Spellman
This first thread has some posts with background information and addresses some earlier corruption in Houston's City Hall (bribes for contracts):
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