There's more than one way to skin a cat! Have you ever heard that term before? Well, after relentless pressure, the vote to nominate Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to head (ICE) Immigration and Customs Enforcement was canceled back on March 8, 2022. Why? Well, just like I tried to tell everyone who would listen to me, the "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" that I obtained (first) and released to the public eventually turned out to be Sheriff Ed Gonzalez's undoing, as far as his goal to become the director of ICE was concerned. That being said, the man you see pictured above, to the left of Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, is none other than, United States Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who serves as the lead Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Operation and Border Management. Senator Lanford took the "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" of former HCC Police Officer Fredrick Portis seriously and did something about it. Now, it is unclear if Senator Lankford is aware that former HCC Officer Fredrick Portis has turned up dead.
A former HCC Sergeant by the name of James Bailey has now stepped forward to back up the account that was put forth by former HCC Officer Fredrick Portis in his "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" that he recounted in "PART ONE" and "PART TWO" of his sworn deposition. (CLICK HERE) to read former HCC Sergeant James Bailey's affidavit.
AUBREY R. TAYLOR: "Please don't forget that on, Monday, July 31, 2023, beginning at 7:00a.m., a "PRAYER RALLY" will be held at the Harris County Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline in downtown Houston, Texas 77002. You can "CLICK HERE" to view the current digital version of Houston Business Connections Newspaper© online. Please call (281)788-3033 for more information."
The Handling Officer Fredrick Portis' Death by Sheriff Ed Gonzalez May Need to Be Brought to the attention of the U.S. Senate
AUBREY R. TAYLOR REPORTS©
Don't you find it a little strange that first the "body cam" footage of what happened between Sheriff Ed Gonzalez's wife, inside the office of the HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado, came up missing or destroyed, and then the HCC Officer (Fredrick Portis) who recorded the incident turned up dead? Even still, the public needs to know exactly what happened inside that office when HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado would not allow Sheriff Ed Gonzalez's wife, Dr. Melissa Gonzalez to speak freely to Officer Fredrick Portis.
What does attorney Ben Hall have to say about the death of former HCC Police Officer Fredrick Portis, after his untimely death? After all, the jest of the investigation that was being conducted by Officer Fredrick Portis concerned Sheriff Ed Gonzalez allegedly becoming physical or violent with his wife, Mrs. Melissa Gonzalez because she was romantically involved with her boss, HCC Chancellor Dr. Cesar Maldonado. According to Officer Fredrick Portis, "The interrogation of Mrs. Gonzalez, while Chancellor Maldonado was present, was also captured on bodycam and should also be in the investigative file dealing with Mrs. Gonzalez's complaint against her husband -- Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez."
In the "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" Officer Fredrick Portis stated, "I and the other HCC officer went to Chancellor Maldonado's office to investigate the complaint. Upon arriving, I noticed Mrs. Gonzalez sitting in a chair (verify), with Chancellor Maldonado sitting/standing (verify) near her. The Chancellor spoke up and said that Mrs. Gonzalez wanted to file a complaint against her husband, Sheriff Gonzalez, because of suggested violence she had experienced at her home at the hands of the sheriff. With that introduction, I asked Chancellor Maldonado to leave the room while we interviewed the complainant. The Chancellor refused to leave the room and said he insisted on staying in the room. Citing to police policy and protocol, I insisted the Chancellor leave the interrogation and he again refused. After this back and forth trying to get Maldonado to leave the room, I felt the Chancellor threatened the other officer and me with our job when he said something to the following effect: You know I am your boss!" He did this to try to intimidate me."
AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS
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United States Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who serves as the lead Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Operation and Border Management took the "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" of former HCC Police Officer Fredrick Portis seriously. But I'm not sure if he's even aware of the suspicious circumstances surrounding Officer Portis' death, and the fact that it's being investigated by the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
March 7, 2022
The Honorable Charles Schumer
Majority Leader
United States Senate
The Honorable Gary Peters
Chairman
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
United States Senate
Dear Leader Schumer and Chairman Peters:
I have been made aware of concerning allegations of domestic abuse against Ed Gonzalez, who has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security and Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Because of the severity of these allegations, the vote on his nomination should be postponed until it can be determined whether or not these allegations are true.
On July 30, 2021, Frederick Portis, a licensed police officer for Houston Community College (HCC), filed a sworn affidavit regarding an interview he conducted with Mrs. Melissa Gonzalez, wife of Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The affidavit, brought to my attention by the National ICE Council and Federal Police Foundation, outlines the incident. While a police officer at HCC, Mr. Portis was called to investigate an alleged domestic dispute involving Mrs. Gonzalez, a Vice-Chancellor at HCC. The interview was conducted in the office of HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado. In the affidavit, Officer Portis wrote, “[t]he jest [sic] of the investigation concerned the Sheriff [Gonzalez] allegedly becoming physical or violent with Mrs. Gonzalez because of her romantic relationship with the Chancellor.”
If these allegations of physical and violent domestic abuse are true, they are disqualifying for a law enforcement officer at any level and raise significant questions about the nominee.
Over the past year, we saw over 2 million migrants illegally cross the border - the highest number in recorded history. Under the current Administration, ICE has implemented policies that have limited its officers’ ability to enforce the law. ICE has been given the mission to enforce the immigration law in the U.S. interior, and it is vitally important that ICE have a strong and capable leader who is committed to upholding the law. This historic border crisis will continue to get worse until ICE begins enforcing the law and fulfilling the mission with which Congress has entrusted it.
Sheriff Gonzalez was initially nominated by President Biden on April 28, 2021 and referred to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where a hearing was held and he The Hon. Charles Schumer and Gary Peters was reported to the Senate on a party-line vote in committee. The Senate did not consider his nomination during the first session of the 117th Congress and his nomination was returned to the President. Despite this, Sheriff Gonzalez was renominated on January 4, 2022 and again referred to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, without an additional hearing or purported vetting. He was again reported to the Senate on a party line vote.
It would be irresponsible for the Senate to vote on the confirmation of Sheriff Gonzalez to be Director of ICE until we determine whether the allegations outlined in the attached affidavit are true. The cloture motion should be immediately withdrawn until this matter is resolved.
In God We Trust,
James Lankford
Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management
cc:
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Republican Leader
United States Senate
The Honorable Rob Portman
Ranking MemberCommittee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs
Attorney Ben Hall isn't playing around. The jest of the investigation concerned the Sheriff allegedly becoming physical or violent with Mrs. Gonzalez because of her romantic relationship with the Chancellor. The interrogation of Mrs. Gonzalez, while Chancellor Maldonado was present, was also captured on bodycam and should also be in the investigative file dealing with Mrs. Gonzalez's complaint against her husband -- Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez."
Former HCC Officer Fredrick Portis whose "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" alluded to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez "allegedly" assaulting his wife (Dr. Melissa Gonzalez) after Sheriff Gonzalez discovered that his wife was "allegedly" having an affair with her boss (Dr. Cesar Maldonado), the disgraced HCC Chancellor, was found dead in his police vehicle in uniform unresponsive on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Harris County, Texas. Now, if you remember, it was Officer Fredrick Portis's "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" that was provided to members of the United States Senate that ultimately prevented Sheriff Ed Gonzalez from becoming director of (ICE) Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After unrelenting pressure, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez withdrew his nomination from consideration on June 27, 2022, after the "alleged" domestic violence dispute between him, and his wife, had swept through the United States Senate, and the rest of the nation.
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THE SWORN AFFIDAVIT OF FORMER HCC POLICE OFFICER FREDRICK PORTIS
l. My name is Fredrick Portis. I am a 45-year-old Black male and reside at XXXX I file this declaration under the pains and penalties of perjury, and the Court and parties, in this case, may rely on the following information as being factually true.
2. Between 2014 and 2017, I was hired by and served as a licensed police officer for Houston Community College. In 2017, I was promoted to the rank of Corporal in the HCC Police Department. As an HCC police officer, I was charged with enforcing the laws of the State of Texas on HCC property. I had the power to detain, arrest and take offenders of the law to jail. While I was hired by HCC as a licensed peace officer, I reported directly to the HCC Chief of Police and his ranking officers. I left HCC in 2020 and continued to work as a police officer with other agencies and governmental entities. I am still a licensed police officer in the State of Texas.
3. While working at HCC, another police officer and I were called to investigate an alleged domestic dispute between a female vice-chancellor of the college named Melissa Gonzalez. The call came in from Chancellor Cesar Maldonado's office and concerned Mrs. Gonzalez having a domestic complaint about her husband's actions toward her. Her husband was the Harris County Sheriff, Ed Gonzalez.
4. I and the other HCC officer went to Chancellor Maldonado's office to investigate the complaint. Upon arriving, I noticed Mrs. Gonzalez sitting in a chair (verify), with Chancellor Maldonado sitting/standing (verify) near her. The Chancellor spoke up and said that Mrs. Gonzalez wanted to file a complaint against her husband, Sheriff Gonzalez, because of suggested violence she had experienced at her home at the hands of the sheriff. With that introduction, I asked Chancellor Maldonado to leave the room while we interviewed the complainant. The Chancellor refused to leave the room and said he insisted on staying in the room. Citing to police policy and protocol, I insisted the Chancellor leave the interrogation and he again refused. After this back and forth trying to get Maldonado to leave the room, I felt the Chancellor threatened the other officer and me with our job when he said something to the following effect: You know I am your boss!" He did this to try to intimidate me.
5. I remember having my bodycam on and operating at the time we arrived to interview Mrs. Gonzalez, and that bodycam footage was uploaded in HCC's computer system to go along with the investigative report on Mrs. Gonzalez's domestic complaint against her husband, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. It is my understanding that video is presently still in the possession of HCC but that an administrative block or password is needed to access the report and video.
6. Because of the Chancellor's demand that he remain in the interrogation room, Mrs. Gonzalez was interviewed with Chancellor Maldonado being present. During the interrogation of Mrs. Gonzalez, Chancellor Maldonado coached her on how to answer the questions and what to say. The jest of the investigation concerned the Sheriff allegedly becoming physical or violent with Mrs. Gonzalez because of her romantic relationship with the Chancellor. The interrogation of Mrs. Gonzalez, while Chancellor Maldonado was present, was also captured on bodycam and should also be in the investigative file dealing with Mrs. Gonzalez's complaint against her husband.
7. Because of the people involved in the complaint—the Sheriff, his wife, and the Chancellor—the investigative report was provided to the Chief of HCC Police, Greg Cunningham. After the report was turned in, I had no further involvement in investigating the matter and am not aware of any criminal charges being filed against Sheriff Ed. Gonzalez.
8. If called as a witness in this case I would truthfully repeat the above facts to a jury and the court under oath.
9. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on July 16, 2021.
Former HCC Police Officer Fredrick Portis has already given his "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" in the $100 million racial discriminal lawsuit that has been filed against Houston Community College. He was expected to be called as a witness and talk about what occurred in the office of the HCC Chancellor (Dr. Cesar Maldonado), and the wife of Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, who was allegedly having an affair with her boss, Dr. Cesar Maldonado. After his mysterious death, he will not be able to recount the statements he made in his "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" about this matter. Now, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has his homicide division and crime scene investigative division looking into the untimely death of Fredrick Portis, which occurred on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in the 12400 block of West Little York Road near Eldridge, in Harris County, Texas, just after 7:30p.m.
Former HCC Police Officer Fredrick Portis has already given his "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" in the $100 million racial discriminal lawsuit that has been filed against Houston Community College. He was expected to be called as a witness and talk about what occurred in the office of the HCC Chancellor (Dr. Cesar Maldonado), and the wife of Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, who was allegedly having an affair with her boss, Dr. Cesar Maldonado. After his mysterious death, he will not be able to recount the statements he made in his "SWORN AFFIDAVIT" about this matter. Now, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has his homicide division and crime scene investigative division looking into the untimely death of Fredrick Portis, which occurred on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in the 12400 block of West Little York Road near Eldridge, in Harris County, Texas, just after 7:30p.m.
The Hall Law Firm is located at 530 Lovett Blvd, Houston, TX 77006. For more information on attorney Ben Hall, please call: (713) 942-9600 today!
Dr. Benjamin L. Hall, III is a Harvard-trained lawyer who founded The Hall Law Firm in 2000. The Hall Law Firm concentrates on litigation matters, including complex construction litigation, complex commercial and contract cases, as well as consumer/personal injury claims. Over the years, Hall and his Firm have generated more than $300,000,000 in recoveries for clients.
A member of ABOTA and a lifetime member of the NAACP, Ben’s firm motto reflects his commitment to the law: “The Firm Where Right Wins Over Might.”
Of all things, Hall prides himself in being a Christian minister. He has been an ordained minister since 1975 and has served the congregation of the Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ since 1974.
Hall was the City Attorney for the City of Houston during the administration of Mayor Bob Lanier. For approximately three years, he managed and supervised a 200+ member legal department, as well as an annual budget of $12+ million dollars. Hall has received many scholastic honors, including but not limited to: Rockefellar Scholar to Africa; Duke Merit Scholar; Duke Black Graduate Fellow; DAAD Scholar to Germany, and German Research Fellow.
Hall is a recognized legal expert in construction law and personal injury litigation. He has received numerous honors and accolades for his services in the legal field, including but not limited to the following: The highest rating for professional competence and ethical standards awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, the leading legal reference manual in the United States (AV Rating); dual board-certified which is achieved by less than 1% of all Texas lawyers; four times recognized as a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly Magazine; recognized as a Houston Top Lawyer for the People by “H Magazine;” obtained the highest reported verdicts/awards ever obtained as recognized by the legal website “Verdict Search.”
Hall is also a popular lecturer on a wide variety of topics ranging from insurance and legal issues to minority rights and ethics. Hall is a lifetime member of the NAACP and is a recipient of the NAACP’s highest local “ALEX” Award.
He has been married to Saundra Turner Hall and they both are the proud parents of two sons: Benjamin, IV, and Zachary.
Hall is fluent in German and can read French.