: Houston council reaches compromise for recovery funds | What's Your Point? (FOX 26 Houston)
A in which the Houston Housing Authority's former counsel accused the agency of fraud has reached a settlement.
The $600,000 settlement does not involve any admission of fault, according to a housing authority memorandum. The housing authority still denies all allegations, which involved paying contractors without necessary oversight. The board voted Tuesday to approve the payment.
Jody Proler, chair of the Houston Housing Authority board of commissioners, said the board, which was almost entirely replaced by Mayor John Whitmire in 2024, had promised the mayor that they would move the agency past all litigation.
"So I'm pleased that this is behind us," he said.
Karen Miniex, the former counsel, could not be reached for comment through her attorney.
The lion's share of the settlement, $500,000, will be paid to the United States. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers also receive a fee if information they provide leads to a monetary recovery. In this settlement, Miniex is receiving $100,000. She separately won $2.2 million in a previous suit alleging the housing authority retaliated after she blew the whistle.
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