EXCLUSIVE: Austin Mayor Steve Adler told the public to "stay home if you can...this is not the time to relax" in a Nov. 9 Facebook video. He did not disclose that he was at a timeshare in Cabo San Lucas after flying on a private jet with eight family members and guests.
The Mexico trip with family came the day after Adler hosted a small wedding for his daughter at a trendy South Congress Hotel with 20 attendees. Adler says he consulted with health authorities prior and that guests had to undergo COVID-19 testing and practice social distancing.
Adler did not violate his own order or those by Gov. Greg Abbott. However, city hall insiders have begun quietly discussing Adler's personal activities. Adler has been a constant voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, urging residents to take precautions. Here is his statement:
BREAKING: Seven top aides, including his first assistant, have asked federal authorities to investigate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for multiple crimes that include bribery and abuse of office, according to a letter obtained today by @statesman and @KVUE.
The request is a stunning development in an agency that prizes loyalty to Paxton, a Republican who is already under indictment on state securities fraud charges. The letter does not specify the allegations or described Paxton's alleged conduct.
Paxton's office said in a statement that the complaint "was done to impede an ongoing investigation into criminal wrongdoing by public officials including employees of this office...Making false claims is a very serious matter."
EXCLUSIVE: Former Williamson County sheriff’s deputies say the agency rewarded “good” uses of force with steakhouse gift cards, and one revealed to Texas Rangers that deputies in the death of #JavierAmbler received them.
The former deputy, Chris Pisa, did not link Ambler’s case to the cards, according to audio we obtained. But he said the department expected deputies to be “Wilco Badass.” Pisa is also under investigation for a 2019 force case.
EXCLUSIVE: A Williamson County grand jury is considering evidence tampering charges against Sheriff Robert Chody, crews from "Live PD" and anyone else possibly involved in the destruction of video in the death of #JavierAmbler. Multiple deputies confirm being called to testify.
Chody has hired prominent Austin defense attorney Gerry Morris to represent him. Morris had no comment. Experts say possible charges include evidence tampering and that prosecutors must prove that whoever destroyed the video knew it was needed for an investigation.
Williamson DA Shawn Dick said in a statement: "We continue to pursue justice in the matter of the death of Javier Ambler...as we look into the possible tampering with evidence by personnel from Williamson County agencies who have had contact or communication with the TV show."
NEW: Residents in a Williamson County apartment complex called 911 because of a possible domestic violence incident. When deputies arrived, they attacked the victim. The September 2019 incident, captured on video, is now under investigation by the Texas Rangers and prosecutors.
Footage shows Deputy Lorenzo Hernandez, a training officer, used force on the 20-year-old woman after she hesitated for deputies to enter her home to search for her boyfriend. The woman was handcuffed and taken to the ground, videos show, and threatened with a Taser.
"When we don't get your cooperation, that is what happens," Lorenzo told her. "All this screaming, and uh, all this s--- does not make us stop." Law enforcement and domestic violence experts say they are deeply troubled by the incident.
NEW: In November 2017, Williamson Sheriff Robert Chody swore in his newest deputy who only three days earlier quit the Austin police force to avoid a firing. An investigation found Mark Luera used a TSA badge to sneak his family and friends past security for a flight to Cancun.
Since his hiring, Luera has been a department star on "Live PD," and Chody has called him "a true leader." Chody last year changed his promotion standards for the rank of lieutenant to fit Luera's credentials.
Luera is one of at least a dozen deputies with a tarnished badge Chody has hired in the past 3 1/2 years. Others include Deputies J.J. Johnson and Zach Camden who were involved in the March 2019 death of #JavierAmbler.