HOUSTON – Mayor John Whitmire is facing a formal ethics complaint filed with the Texas Ethics Commission over allegations tied to the city’s podcast, “901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor’s Office.”
According to the notice, the commission is looking into allegations that Whitmire “spent or authorized the spending of public funds for political advertising,” a potential violation of Section 255.003 of the Texas Election Code.
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The Texas Ethics Commission oversees and enforces Texas laws governing ethics and campaign finance, including restrictions that prohibit the use of public funds for political advertising.
The complaint, filed by the Houston Progressive Caucus, has been categorized as a Category Two violation, according to a copy of the notice obtained by KPRC 2 News. The commission noted that this does not indicate wrongdoing, but rather that the complaint meets the legal and technical requirements for further review.
Whitmire is required to submit a written response within 25 business days of receiving the notice, admitting or denying the allegations and providing supporting evidence. Failure to respond could constitute a separate violation. The notice was sent to his office Monday, May 4, 2026, and was received this week.
Whitmire has pushed back on the criticism, maintaining that the podcast is a standard government communications tool and not political advertising.
“901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor’s Office is another communications channel the city is utilizing to keep the public informed and engaged,” the mayor’s office said in a statement to KPRC 2 News. “It serves the same purpose as social media, press releases, and other public forms of communication.”
The mayor’s office has argued that the podcast does not meet the legal definition of political advertising.
“The procurement process was conducted in accordance with the existing city ordinances and procurement guidelines, the statement said. “The podcast is not a campaign communication; any questions about campaign activity should be directed to the John Whitmire Campaign. The Texas Ethics Commission defines campaign communications as ‘Express Advocacy.’ The podcast will be informative and feature guests beyond the mayor but will not feature any campaign content for measures or candidates.”
The Houston Progressive Caucus criticized the mayor’s priorities and the use of taxpayer funds for the podcast.
“At a time when nearly 80% of Houston households earning under $25,000 cannot cover an unexpected $400 expense, per the 2026 Kinder Institute Survey, this mayor wants to charge working-class Houstonians a new garbage fee starting at $60 a year with no discount for low-income residents, climbing to $300 a year over time,” the Houston Progressive Caucus statement reads. “Meanwhile, the city spends more than $3.3 million annually subsidizing private garbage pickup for HOA residents in two of Houston’s highest-income council districts.”
The ethics complaint comes as the Houston Controller’s Office is already reviewing concerns surrounding the podcast and its reported $60,000 cost.
“This office only deals in facts,” Controller Chris Hollins said Tuesday, May 5. “And so, we are taking the time to, you know, get a hold of the documents, the contracts that are related to that podcast.”