State District Judge Steve Kirkland has recused himself from a case filed by the city of Houston asking the court to compel the release of some records from the Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund.

Kirkland by all public accounts is a devoted acolyte of Houston Mayor Annise Parker, having worked with her campaign in 2009, which was pointed out in a filing by the firefighter’s pension group last month.

The petition, with 25 exhibits, notes that Kirkland and Parker are partners on a real estate company, Silver Street Properties, and Kirkland is a Parker-appointed board member of a tax increment finance district.

A new judge has not yet been appointed.

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Contact Steve Miller at 832-303-9420 or stevemiller@texaswatchdog.org.

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Photo of Houston fire trucks via the city of Houston website.