HOUSTON – Less than a week after Houston Mayor John Whitmire expressed concern and disappointment over what he called “serious allegations” of conflicts of interest with City Controller Chris Hollins regarding fundraising practices for an Investor Conference, Hollins has requested any investigation into fundraising practices to be expanded to include the mayor’s practices surrounding the State of the City event.
Hollins filed a letter Tuesday with the city’s Office of the Inspector General and the Houston City Council Ethics Committee.
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“Bias has no place in public service. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” said Hollins. “Let me be clear: I do not consider the marketing practices of either event to be unlawful. But I do believe the same set of rules should apply equally to both the Mayor’s and Controller’s fundraising activities.”
In the letter, Hollins said the fundraising model used for the Controller’s Investor Conference was the same one used for the Mayor’s State of the City event.
According to Hollins, the only difference is that the mayor controls the proceeds from the State of the City, while the proceeds of the Investor Conference flow to a non-profit donor-advised fund, where an independent body has exclusive spending authority.
Hollins continued: “By applying equal scrutiny to both our offices, we can ensure fairness, transparency, and adherence to ethical standards across all levels of City government. This approach will not only address current concerns, but also set a precedent for accountability in future fundraising activities by City officials.”
Mayor Whitmire had expressed concern after getting several calls regarding what he characterized as “pay to play” and a “conflict of interest” on the part of Hollins.
The allegations were connected to a sponsorship package for the conference which offers a “private dinner with Controller and other special guests at Investor Conference (or equivalent major event of sponsor’s choice)” for people who donate $100K.
“It needs to stop,” he said. “I can’t believe no one in the Controller’s office didn’t say ‘no.’”
Hollins responded later Thursday afternoon, calling the controversy a waste of time.
“The mayor is wasting all of your time today,” Hollins said. “He owes you an apology for this. This is a huge nothing-burger that is meant to distract from the mayor’s failed leadership on fiscal responsibility as a city.”
In a statement, Mayor Whitmire responded to the controller’s request:
“The investigation is in response to Controller Hollins soliciting $100,000 from vendors for a private meeting with him. It is the practice of the mayor’s office not to comment on active investigations. I did my job by bringing this to light.”