San Antonio Councilman Marc Whyte (D10) was sanctioned by the town’s Ethics Evaluation Board on Monday for improper use of official photographs on his marketing campaign materials throughout his 2025 reelection race.
Whyte simply defeated 4 opponents with almost 60% of the vote in that race.
However a kind of challengers, Eric Litaker, filed a collection of complaints on April 21 alleging that Whyte had violated the town’s ethics coverage by posting pictures taken within the Metropolis Council briefing room, in addition to photographs campaigning with San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, to the councilman’s marketing campaign Fb web page.
After an impartial lawyer was employed to assist overview the matter, the Ethics Evaluation Board issued Whyte 5 $500 fines, for a complete of $2,500. He may even obtain a letter of reprimand and obligatory ethics coaching.
Metropolis Supervisor Erik Walsh wrote the council in January reminding members concerning the insurance policies surrounding use of metropolis sources throughout elections.
On Tuesday, Whyte disputed the concept he’d accomplished something incorrect — or something completely different from what different council members additionally did throughout the marketing campaign season.
“All the photographs on my Fb web page concerned metropolis personnel or logos additionally obtainable to the general public, which the code clearly states shouldn’t be a violation,” Whyte advised the San Antonio Report. “A ruling like because of this all council members are in violation of the code as a result of each council member has the identical or related photos on their private pages.”
It’s the second time Whyte has been sanctioned by the board in lower than a 12 months.
He confronted a criticism in August of 2024 alleging he’d abused his official energy by directing police to the house of lawyer Martin Phipps throughout a Fiesta social gathering. After making a timeline of the evening’s occasions, the Ethics Evaluation Board agreed and issued Whyte a letter of reprimand and obligatory ethics coaching.
“The town should discover a strategy to cease the [Ethics Review Board] from getting used as a political weapon,” Whyte mentioned. “We’re seeing this far typically in cases like this.”
A wave of ethics complaints
Monday’s assembly of the Ethics Evaluation Board got here as a wave of ethics complaints had been filed throughout the 2025 municipal election, however many of the accusations had been dismissed and not using a board listening to.
The town employed lawyer Nadeen Abou-Hossa to overview complaints made towards Whyte, Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1), and Councilwoman-elect Ivalis Meza Gonzalez — all of which had been filed by political opponents.
A fourth ethics criticism, towards then-mayoral hopeful Beto Altamirano, gave the impression to be filed by a supporter of Mayor-elect Gina Ortiz Jones.
The criticism towards Meza-Gonzalez was dismissed again in April, throughout the warmth of the marketing campaign, whereas the board waited till after the election to overview the remainder.
On Monday Kaur was issued a letter of reprimand and obligatory ethics coaching, whereas the criticism towards Altamirano was dismissed.
Kaur sanctioned for misuse of official sources
This 12 months bar proprietor Julisa Medrano-Guerra, one among 9 candidates who ran towards Kaur in District 1, filed a wide-ranging ethics criticism accusing the councilwoman of hiding property and misusing metropolis sources.
Many of the allegations had been dismissed, however a portion of it, accusing her chief of workers Ryan Salts of conflating marketing campaign work and official council enterprise at a Lavaca Neighborhood Affiliation assembly, was forwarded to the Ethics Evaluation Board.
On Monday the board sanctioned Kaur with obligatory ethics coaching.
Afterwards the councilwoman mentioned she believed her workers had acted appropriately primarily based on the steering she’d beforehand obtained from the town, however she revered the board’s determination and deliberate to conduct the extra coaching.
“Shifting ahead, I’m dedicated to working intently with metropolis workers to make clear expectations and strengthen coaching to make sure full compliance with all moral requirements,” Kaur mentioned.
She was reelected with 65% of the voter in a runoff towards a special challenger, Patty Gibbons.
Afterwards Kaur lamented the notably ugly race, by which the Medrano-Guerra marketing campaign employed a personal investigator to observe her to a bar. Medrano-Guerra is married to Phipps, who received the primary main ethics dispute in current reminiscence towards Whyte in 2024.
Kaur’s 12-year-old sealed DWI arrest additionally grew to become public throughout the race.
“They threw all the pieces at me this election cycle,” Kaur advised supporters at an election evening social gathering.
Complaints towards Altamirano dismissed
Altamirano, a tech entrepreneur, was one of many largest fundraisers within the 27-candidate mayoral race, and has hinted about plans to run for workplace once more sooner or later.
He confronted an ethics criticism alleging he’d accepted in-kind marketing campaign contributions that exceed the authorized restrict — together with donated marketing campaign workplace area from an LLC owned by former Mayor Henry Cisneros — nevertheless it was reviewed by the Ethics Evaluation Board and dismissed on Monday.
After ending third within the mayoral race with 12% of the vote, Altamirano advised supporters: “I’m not going wherever. I’m 35 years previous, time is on my facet.”
