Commissioner ‘Relieved’ By Removal Of His Initials From Corruption Indictment

El Paso County Commissioner Dan Haggerty said he is relieved but disappointed in the “system” after prosecutors dropped every mention of his initials from a public corruption indictment against former County Judge Anthony Cobos on Thursday morning.

“I am so relieved the Haggerty name has been pulled out of the ashes,” Haggerty said Thursday.

The original indictment, which is now invalid in court, accused Haggerty of taking March 2007 NCAA basketball tickets in exchange for votes on Commissioners Court.

However, ABC-7 broke a story earlier this month in which Haggerty’s attorney, Ray Gutierrez, provided what he called evidence of Haggerty’s innocence. Gutierrez showed pictures and travel documents showing Haggerty was out of the country attending his nephew’s wedding in Rome during the days of the basketball game at the center of the alleged bribery.

“This is the Federal Bureau of Investigation,and I am just amazed at the stuff they were throwing at me,” Haggerty said. “There had been no investigation, none investigation. None of what they said made any sense. There was no truth to it.”

ABC-7 reached out to the FBI for comment on some of the concerns Haggerty raised over the quality of the investigation. It did not respond by deadline.

Haggerty said even though he feels his name has been cleared by the superseding indictment, it may have a lasting effect on his future.

“Politically I’m dead,” said Haggerty. “I would never be able to run for public office again because of the horrible things that (original indictment) implied.”

He said his recent cancer diagnosis has made the situation even more difficult to deal with. The cancer has spread from his bladder to his lymph nodes and bones.

“Chemotherapy starts tomorrow,” said Haggerty. “Hopefully, now I’ll be able to enjoy the rest of my life I have left.”