Alvarado testifies before grand jury

So former Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado testified before a grand jury yesterday about the City Hall payroll scandal involving four of her ex-employees who allegedly helped themselves to nearly $200,000 in unauthorized payraises and bonuses — and the panel may hand down indictments in the case as early as tomorrow. Alvarado appeared before the grand jury voluntarily; the four former mayor pro tem employees testified last week under subpoena.

What's said in the grand jury is secret by law. Alvarado spoke briefly with reporters after her testimony, but couldn't detail what she told the panel.

"I'm glad that I had the opportunity to tell my side of the story," said Alvarado, who has said the Mayor Pro Tem employees violated her trust and sought the bonuses without her knowledge. "I answered the questions and told the truth. That's what I was looking forward to doing."

Alvarado didn't expand on what happened in her testimony other than to say the questions were "very procedural." For Alvarado, the real question here, as it has been since the situation broke early this year, is how much she knew: The four ex-employees claim she authorized their raises and bonuses, but Alvarado claims she knew nothing about what they were doing — even though she theoretically oversaw what was happening in the mayor pro tem office.

Harris County Assistant DA Son Smith said he thought Alvarado gave jurors the information they wanted and didn't answer a Chronicle question about whether Alvarado might find herself indicted. "I'm not going to say whether she's a target or not a target," Smith said.