The investigation into the encrypted texting situation has been tedious, and the judge is facing considerable….

Pereyra’s company was awarded the contract over UT Health, one of the city’s major hospitals, and the “deciders” for the contract all answered directly to Hidalgo without input from the commissioners’ panel.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s office subpoenaed Hidalgo regarding the contract, and when asked about the subpoena, an attorney for Hidalgo told local press, “We have always followed the law, and we continue to follow the law.”

A mix of industry experts and county officials told FOX 26 that Elevate Strategies did not even meet the basic requirements to engage in an endeavor of this scope. Additionally, the experts and officials said that there was no way that Elevate Strategies could have met the strict financial requirements for bidding on county contracts.

Harris County requires annual billing records dating back five years as well as an audited income statement and a qualifying balance sheet.

But Elevate Strategies reportedly wasn’t required to provide financial statements during the bidding process.

A spokesperson for Hidalgo previously told FOX 26 that Pereyra’s firm has worked with the county on projects before, including the most recent census.

Hidalgo canceled the deal amid scrutiny, but thousands of dollars were still paid to Elevate Strategies by the county as the arrangement imploded.

DETROIT-AREA MAYOR INDICTED BY FEDS ON BRIBERY CHARGE, WHO ALLEGE HE TOOK $50K IN PAYMENT