06:30 PM CDT on Friday, May 12, 2006

By Doug Miller / 11 News

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Prosecutors have subpoenas documents from two companies that hired former Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado as a political consultant.

KHOU-TV

Council member Carol Alvarado

The Harris County District Attorney’s office is taking a close look at some of the ways Carol Alvarado has made money outside City Hall.

DA investigators have spent the past couple of days in San Antonio and the Austin area subpoenaing documents from a couple of political consulting firms for which she’s done contract work.

Alvarado’s personal financial statement on file at City Hall shows that she’s worked for something called the Horizon Consulting Group and a Rudy Rodriguez in San Antonio, as well as a Capital Development firm and Harold Oliver, whose address is listed in McQueeny, Texas.

District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal confirmed that subpoenas were served to those firms, and he said his office is investigating potential conflicts of interest. He declined to elaborate.

Alvarado’s spokesman said she works as a consultant for businesses seeking government contracts in other cities.

The documents don’t reveal how much money she collected for this work.

In a written statement, Alvarado’s spokesman said, in part, “Like almost every other member of City Council, Council Member Alvarado has earned income in the private sector during her time in office. ...  All of the private sector work she has done has been appropriately reported on her financial disclosure forms in compliance with City ordinances. Council member Alvarado urges anyone contacted by the District Attorney to cooperate fully.”

The DA’s office has been investigating Alvarado’s mayor pro tem office for three months after revelations that four of her employees gave themselves big bonuses and pay raises.

Investigators are probing not only those now-fired city employees, but also the council member herself.