Houston City Controller Chris Hollins announced this week that his office is reviewing complaints tied to a city-funded podcast connected to Mayor John Whitmire, as scrutiny over the $60,000 expenditure continues to grow.
The podcast, “901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor’s Office,” launched March 2 and is hosted by Owen Conflenti, a former Houston television news anchor and owner of Conflenti Media. Since its launch, three episodes have aired, running between 17 and 22 minutes each, covering topics such as the Houston Police Department’s workforce growth, budget management, the mayor’s homelessness initiative, and the city’s preparations for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
According to documents obtained through a public records request, the podcast producer was not required to submit a competitive bid. University of Houston political science lecturer Nancy Sims said that because the contract falls under $100,000, the city is legally permitted to skip the bidding process, noting it is not uncommon in the communications space.
The purchase order describes the work as “advertising services,” and the payment came from city funds rather than Whitmire’s campaign account. The city has not released the full contract and is seeking authorization from the Office of the Texas Attorney General to withhold it while a related query is resolved. It is also unclear how many episodes or what span of time the $60,000 covers.
Hollins said his office had received complaints about the contract and intends to take them seriously. “Houstonians work hard for every dollar they send to City Hall, and they deserve to know that those dollars are being spent responsibly, transparently, and for their benefit,” Hollins said. “At this time, we have not received the contract in question. Upon receipt, we will review the contract and related documentation, as well as interview relevant parties.”
The city pushed back, defending the podcast as a routine communications tool. In a post on X, the City of Houston said the show “serves the same purpose as social media, press releases, and other public forms of communication” and maintained the procurement process followed existing ordinances and guidelines. Officials also said the podcast does not constitute campaign communication, pointing to the Texas Ethics Commission’s definition of political advertising as “express advocacy.”
The complaints triggering Hollins’ review were filed by the Houston Progressive Caucus, a left-leaning political grassroots organization. The group submitted grievances to the Texas Ethics Commission, the city’s inspector general, and the controller’s waste, fraud and abuse division. The caucus is also calling for the $60,000 to be returned and for Whitmire to cover the podcast’s cost using campaign funds.
The group argued that Whitmire’s brief reference to next year’s municipal election during the show’s first episode ran afoul of state ethics rules governing political advertising.
Whitmire dismissed the complaints as politics. “Everyone knows that podcasts, newsletters are part of public service,” he said. “So I don’t have time for politics, and I don’t even let it distract me.”
Sims characterized Whitmire’s election-related comments as falling into a “gray zone,” while campaign ethics attorney Andrew Cates said, “It’s close, but it’s not overtly against any laws or regulations that I know of.”
The Texas Ethics Commission told Houston Public Media it cannot make determinations about whether a podcast constitutes political advertising in response to a media inquiry. The podcast has averaged fewer than 160 views per episode.
The spending has drawn added attention given the city’s deepening fiscal troubles. The city controller’s office is projecting a $174 million general fund deficit by the end of the fiscal year in June, which would surpass the record $145 million gap recorded in 2025.
Members of the Houston Progressive Caucus specifically cited the deficit in their complaints, arguing the podcast represents wasteful spending at a time when community services are being cut.
Whitmire and Hollins have previously clashed over $72 million in unbudgeted overtime spending across the police, fire, and solid waste departments, with Whitmire calling Hollins’ report “political” and “not acceptable.”
