Town’s Ethics Assessment Board dismissed a neighborhood GOP official’s criticism alleging Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones broke town’s ethics guidelines through the use of official metropolis letterhead to courtroom the 2028 Democratic Nationwide Conference.
Jones didn’t attend the listening to, however filed a written response on Sept. 30 asking for the board to dismiss the criticism. She stated that “securing main conventions” is a official a part of her function as mayor, and that she ran the letter by Metropolis Lawyer Andy Segovia earlier than it was despatched.
On Monday, she was represented by a former metropolis legal professional, Frank Garza, who stated the conference utility was really initiated by town’s tourism nonprofit, Go to San Antonio, and that the “criticism was filed to harass the mayor.”
He offered quite a few emails between Jones, Metropolis Lawyer Andy Segovia and Metropolis Supervisor Erik Walsh discussing the letter, ending with Walsh giving his approval on June 27: “Andy reviewed. Letter is nice to go.”
It’s the fourth time this yr the Ethics Assessment Board has been requested to think about whether or not an elected official misused metropolis sources this yr — one thing every official argued was a stretch from the coverage’s supposed objective however was nonetheless sanctioned. Aside from Jones, all have been nonetheless sanctioned.
“We don’t need the Ethics Assessment Board to change into a gotcha board,” Chair Patrick Lang stated. “That’s not what we’re for.”
Final month the board cited former Mayor Ron Nirenberg for utilizing metropolis sources to create social media content material, one thing Nirenberg’s legal professional contended was an try and “meet the individuals the place they’re.”
Councilman Marc Whyte (D10) was fined for utilizing pictures with metropolis officers in his marketing campaign materials, which critics stated implied an endorsement from the police chief. In the meantime, Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) obtained a lesser punishment after her chief of employees addressed a neighborhood gathering on behalf of each the council workplace and her marketing campaign — additionally categorised as a misuse of metropolis sources.
‘Quid professional quo’
As with lots of the board’s latest circumstances, Jones’ criticism got here from a political foe. It was filed by Kyle Sinclair, a former vice chair of the Republican Get together of Bexar County who lately resigned that function to launch a marketing campaign in Texas’ twenty first Congressional District.
Sinclair instructed KSAT final week that he’d revoke the criticism if Jones additionally utilized to host the 2028 Republican Nationwide Conference, not understanding that the Republicans had already made an unusually early choice to carry it in Houston.
Jones stated in her response that Sinclair was in essence asking her to repeat the identical motion he’d deemed unethical, and her legal professional requested the board to sanction him for a frivolous criticism.
“[Sinclair’s] willingness to drop the ethics criticism — upon my settlement to interact in the identical conduct that he discovered problematic, however this time towards the Republican Nationwide Conference, clearly demonstrates this criticism is politically motivated and lacks benefit,” Jones wrote.
The Ethics Assessment Board is made up of 11 members: 10 members appointed by their respective councilmembers and one appointed by the mayor.
It takes complaints referred to it after an unbiased legal professional helps decide whether or not the difficulty qualifies as a violation of metropolis code.
As soon as a criticism is filed, it could’t be taken again. However District 8 appointee Jim Reidy stated Sinclair’s try and strain Jones in alternate for rescinding the criticism was an alarming twist that shouldn’t go unaddressed.
“I’m positive any person else may be considering this too, however the quid professional quo side of Mr. Sinclair’s request to take down this criticism in alternate for making use of for the Republican Nationwide Conference troubles me a bit of bit,” Reidy stated.
Garza requested the board to tremendous Sinclair for a frivolous criticism, however Lang stated that might require Jones to file a separate criticism towards him.
Sinclair stated afterward that complaints of harassment have been unjustified. He hasn’t spoken to the mayor, he instructed reporters, and Jones even blocked him on social media.
“I merely filed a criticism towards her. That’s not harassment. That’s the authorized approach to do it,” he stated. “I’ve completely no concern with what I did, how I did it, and I might do it once more, even proper now.”
