Blogging City Hall and Harris County government with the Chronicle staff
Eversole pleads guilty to making false statement to FBI
Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole pleaded guilty this morning in federal court to a felony charge of making a false statement to FBI agents.
The charge carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In exchange for the guilty plea and for Eversole’s announcement last week that he would resign from office, prosecutors dropped charges of conspiracy, bribery and two counts of filing false income tax statements.
The Department of Justice had alleged Eversole took nearly $100,000 in cash and gifts from co-defendant Mike Surface in exchange for steering lucrative county contracts to companies in which Surface had an interest.
A mistrial was declared in the case earlier this year following a hung jury. A retrial had been scheduled to begin next month. Throughout, Eversole had denied wrongdoing, and his attorneys have characterized the government’s corruption case as criminalizing a friendship.
“All the allegations by the government that he ever did anything improper in the conduct of his office were dismissed. Every single count, every single allegation that has to do with the performance of his office were dismissed today and they’re gone forever,” said Rusty Hardin, Eversole’s attorney. “There is nothing in his statement of facts that says he ever did anything in his office in return for anything or was influenced in any way.”
Surface pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false income tax return, which carries up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine. In exchange, conspiracy and bribery charges were dropped.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner accepted the guilty pleas at 10:35 a.m.
A sentencing date has been set for Jan. 4, 2012.
Eversole, 68, has represented about 1 million residents in Precinct 4 since 1991 and won a sixth term last fall, running unopposed.
County Judge Ed Emmett will appoint Eversole’s successor. Emmett has said he likely will announce a replacement Oct. 3.
Posted by Mike Morris on September 30, 2011 at 11:10 am
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