Saturday, November 23, 2013

Attorney General's Office/TDCJ deny Backgate Request for details about TDCJ Director's secret service style security detail

Brad Livingston
By Michael Williams, Backgate Website

About 90 days ago the Backgate broke the story on what many would call fraud, or at the very least, misappropriation of public funds. The Backgate received credible information just weeks after a Colorado prison chief was killed by a gunman at his residence as he answered his front door, that TDCJ's Executive Director was implementing his own security detail. Information gained from employees within the agency itself alleged that Livingston pulled Office of Inspector General officers off Huntsville area units. thus bringing ongoing cases there to a standstill, to follow him and his family on the streets of Huntsville 24/7.

 The officers racked up what some allege as thousands of dollars in overtime in the weeks they spent shadowing Livingston and his family. Officers escorted Livingston's wife and child to grocery stores, school activities, and anywhere else they needed to go. Sometimes sitting overnight in a vehicle outside of Livingston's personal home just outside of Huntsville. It was also alleged that Livingston ordered that an extensive alarm and video surveillance systems be installed in his personal home that came out of the taxpayers pockets. All the while there were no credible threats against Livingston or his family. Livingston allegedly spend thousands and thousands of dollars on personal security, even after granting himself a substantial raise while line staff got a mere 5% bump.

We asked TDCJ to answer these tough questions and asked for overtime usage hours and costs for the duration of his security, which lasted approximately 30 days. We also asked if OIG staff were reassigned to him from TDCJ units where they are already dangerously short handed with investigators. TDCJ refused to answer and referred our questions to the AG's office for an opinion on it's release. The AG's office finally answered and denied our request in full. They contend that by releasing the amount of overtime money spent on the project that it could somehow jeopardize Livingston's security in the future. They also refused to answer questions as to who authorized the expenditures, and whether or not taxpayer money was used to purchase alarms systems for Livingston's personal residence. So as it stands, the veil of TDCJ secrecy and blatant disregard for supplying taxpayers answers to legitimate questions about it's operation continue. We contacted state Senator John Whitmire's office 5 weeks ago regarding the implied cover-up and have yet to hear back as of today. We however won't stop here. Stay tuned.

See our original Story and reader comments by clicking  HERE !!

12 comments:

  1. From the Desk BoBoTheBeaten:

    There was a time when I knew several husbands where after me for tinkering with their wives while they were at work. What I did until the heat was off was just have my wife answer the door anytime the door bell rang. If some guy asked for me who we didn't know she said I wasn't there. Eventually they lost interest. Now I just hit it and quit it!

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  2. Bobo your such a dick!!! you think your funny, your just a tired old man with No life. You prob did scumbag the people you worked with. SUCH POS.
    Can't wait till the day you No longer can type your negitive stupid BS here...

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    1. From the Desk of BoBoTheBeaten:

      You are a very angry man. Was yours one of the one's I tinkered with? I'm like the Boy Scouts - I always left her better than I found her.

      Delete
    2. You talk so much crap here, i bet you are a coward at work.
      Tell us who you are where you work, maybe we can have a conversation in person one day.

      Delete
    3. From the Desk of BoBoTheBeaten:

      You're not the boss of me. Tell the little wife I've taken her out of my line up until she drops a few pounds.

      Delete
  3. Bobo, I'm always happy to sit at your feet and learn the wisdom of the world. Thank You My Great Teacher.

    As you taught me so many years ago Bobo, one can only truly be secure when one provides his own security. Brad and the misses can save the state a ton of money by simply investing in a pair of Glock 19s and two concealed carry permits--just like the average TDCJ employee has to be satisfied with.

    Thank You Bobo.

    Sincerely,

    Crosstimbers Okie

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  4. If big Brad is scared, he is in the wrong line of work. The front line folks get threatened EVERY day. They are at risk for physical assault, EVERY day. So, Brad, when is the last time you walked a run??? Furthermore, can you , or will you, walk a run ALONE. Correctional staff across the state walk the runs EVERY day, ALONE.

    To Brad, and every other upper level administrator, TAKE CARE OF THE FRONT LINE STAFF BEFORE YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!! The front line staff need your support. You are NOTHING without them.

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    1. MARTY you are always on top of your game , and always happy to see you words.
      To bad Good Man like you retired . Wish some of these morons would , all talk no action.

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  5. What an absolute crock. How does information about a past event (amount paid in overtime to OIG to take Livingston's wife to the grocery store) threaten his future security? How is the amount of money Texas taxpayers paid for his PERSONAL home alarm system not public information? The AG's office has seriously screwed up this one and I'm sure there are some special BIL favors going on behind the scenes. TDCJ and the OAG have been in bed together for a long time. Hell - former General Counsel Melinda Bozarth's husband is an attorney there - you think there weren't special favors going back and forth during the time she was general counsel? The bottomline is that OIG is NOT Livingston's personal security staff and yet that is exactly how he has and continues to use them. He's STILL got a security detail with him. Whether the OAG releases the information or not, there are dozens of people who saw it every day - they were sitting outside his office at the BOT every day, for God's sake! Ask the folks at the Huntsville Police Department. Ask the folks at the Walker County Sheriff's Office. They can tell you that Livingston is a huge coward who continues to operate his day-to-day life with OIG bodyguards that he could easily pay for out of his own deep pocket, while the frontline staff and people who actually come into contact every day with dangerous offenders have NO protection for themselves and their families. He's pulling these OIG folks from their units and regular duties and that's ok? This is a weak leader who needs to go.

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  6. 20,000 + staff and 150,000 + offenders that don't like you maybe I would feel the need for some protection LOL

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  7. thats fuc up we need a dam raise i see why officers do what they gotta do!

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  8. units allready short but he gets security all these rape assault in this unit wheres oig when u need them!!##

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