The trial for former Houston Independent School District Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby and former district vendor Anthony Hutchison began this week, marking the start of a long-awaited legal battle over charges ranging from bribery to tax fraud.
After years of legal delays, the trial for Busby and Hutchison finally began on Monday with jury selection. The two men were initially indicted in December 2021 on multiple charges, with additional tax-related counts added in April 2022. The 33-count indictment includes serious offenses such as wire fraud, witness tampering, bribery, conspiracy, and filing false tax returns.
According to the 2022 indictment, Hutchison, who operated two companies, is accused of over-billing Houston ISD for landscaping services by invoicing for more projects than his subcontractors completed and inflating product costs. He allegedly paid Busby a portion of the profits, both in cash and through $366,000 worth of free home remodeling services.
Hutchison is also accused of securing purchase orders for district projects by paying cash bribes to district personnel, including Busby and Houston ISD Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones, who accepted a plea deal in 2021.
Busby is accused of instructing other district personnel to lie about his role in awarding contracts to Hutchison.
The indictment also names several other district employees as participants in the scheme, including Derrick Sanders, former Houston ISD officer of construction services; Alfred Hoskins, who held multiple positions in facilities and maintenance; Gerron Hall, area manager for maintenance (south); and Luis Tovar, area manager for maintenance (north).
During jury selection, Judge Andrew Hanen reviewed a list of potential witnesses to ensure that none of the jurors had personal connections to the individuals named.
Opening arguments for the trial began Tuesday, with the government arguing that the ledger confiscated from Hutchison during the investigation contained detailed accounts of bribery transactions, including the individuals to whom bribes were offered and given.
A photocopy of one page displayed in the courtroom during opening statements shows notes on the left margin that allegedly detail the meeting locations for the bribes, as well as school names and monetary amounts listed in various columns. Several individuals named in the ledger have already accepted plea deals, and their testimony is expected to play a significant role in the trial.
In contrast, the defense used its opening arguments to challenge the technical aspects of the bribery charges. It contended there is no verifiable evidence to prove Hutchison received anything in exchange for any payments. The defense claimed the money came from rental income and gambling winnings.
Offering an extensive discussion of Hutchison’s past success and strong work ethic, the defense argues that his high pay and numerous contracts were the result of his outstanding performance for the district, not illicit dealings. It also disputed the government’s characterization of the ledger as a “bribery ledger,” asserting that such terminology unfairly biased the jury, given the lack of concrete evidence of a crime.
The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.
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