The US Attorney’s Office in Beaumont hosted a press conference Friday morning and announced the criminal indictments of Phil Fitzgerald, Lee Groce and Fitzgerald’s brother-in-law Mark Miksch. The former pubic officials from Liberty County are alleged to have violated conflict of interest laws in a scheme involving the pocketing of over $600,000 (plus) dollars in FEMA disaster relief funds during the debris clean up after Hurricane Ike. Conspicuously missing from the list of indicted public officials in matters related to all of this was the name of Liberty County, District Attorney Mike Little.
In what appears to some to be a small matter compared to the big money alleged to have been pocketed in the dump truck/debris scheme, the details surrounding the 155 kilowatt generator purchased by and for the benefit of Liberty County still are unresolved. Fitzgerald is alleged to have used the generator for the benefit of one of his businesses, but stories swirling around the courthouse since those very difficult days after the storm allege DA Mike Little help to cover up information that would have resulted in all of this coming to the public’s attention much quicker.
It has been alleged Phillip “Chip” Fairchild gathered and turned over evidence of a crime to Little and Little ordered Fairchild to be quiet about the crime and to tell no one. Liberty Dispatch has reason to believe Fairchild has been involved in a number of matters that would make it easy to coerce him to not pursue the legal conclusion concerning the evidence he presented to Little. The possibility of blackmail or a quid pro quo exists.
With all of the fanfare surrounding all of the much anticipated indictment of Little’s political allies, Fitzgerald and Groce, the District Attorney still has several allegations of selective prosecution swirling around his head. Federal investigators are still looking at the doubling of the county budget and the incredible increases Mike Little has gotten because of Fitzgerald and Groce during a slumping economy. The “off the record” slush fund Little appears to have in cases from confiscating property from criminals he prosecutes could be delaying the justice process. Hopefully, the feds are investigating all of this and will disclose their results to a very overtaxed public who is tired of corruption and deception from the county leaders.
According to sources, Liberty County District Attorney, Mike Little told Groce and Fitzgerald they were free of any criminal charges as long as he got his increased budget. There is a legal theory out there that Little was guilty of official misconduct and extortion as relates to Groce and Fitzgerald. The legal theory goes on to make available a way for either Groce or Fitzgerald to mitigate the cases against them. It is anyone’s guess which one will “cash in” on this deal. This opportunity along with more future evidence of selective prosecution and official oppression will give Liberty County a real insight into the manipulation of Mike Little'.
Mike Little was not invited to the press conference in Beaumont as held by the US Attorneys office.
Its let’s make a deal time, who will win the grand prize?
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