Wednesday, November 7, 2012

IS GILMAN JOCKEYING FOR 1ST DA ASST. DESPITE DISCREPANCIES IN DAUGHTER'S EMBEZZLEMENT CASE?

By Juan Montoya
The jockeying to see who gets the plum assignments inside the Cameron County District Attorney's Office now that Luis Saenz has trashed Chuck Mattingly has begun.
One of the names that keeps being heard is that AD Asst. Peter Gilman – who once ran for DA himself – is looking longingly at the First Assistant position now that Mattingly will be gone.
But there is trouble on that horizon, some say.
Gilman, if you'll remember, is the stepfather of Melinda Gilman Gonzalez, the child-support collection clerk who got arrested and charged with taking between $8,000 and $10,000 in payments by parents under court order. The scheme involved taking payment after 430 p.m. when the computerized system was closed and then giving out handwritten receipts which were never entered in the system.
What raises eyebrows was that when the scheme was discovered, her boss Cameron County District Clerk Aurora De la Garza attempted to keep the matter quiet and handle it in her own special way. She allowed the woman to resign, then allowed Gilman to walk her into the Cameron County Sheriff's Department and had her booked and released on her dad's signature.
To make matters worse, De la Garza is alleged to have been mentioned in a statement by a county employee who implicated her in attempting to prevent investigators from discovering the evidence (the receipt books) by urging them to make the books disappear.
The statements were then kept in the county auditor's possession and until now, have not been made available to the DA's office or the sheriff's investigators.
But even there, there seems to be a peculiar problem.
Why didn't the sheriff's investigators insist on getting the incriminating statement?
"The sheriff investigator who interviewed Gilman Gonzalez was a former classmate who went to high school with her," said a courthouse source. "He didn't withdraw from the investigation when he found out he knew the accused. It was no wonder he didn't probe that much."
This preferred treatment of an accused embezzler who happens to be related to Gilman, a DA's Office employee, is raising eyebrows in the courthouse community and local legal profession.
"Everyone starts jockeying for a position in the new administration," said our source. "But that may prove to be too much baggage for Luis (Saenz) to bear at the very onset of his term as DA. We'll see."
Meanwhile, courthouse observers are wondering whether the auditor's office will be forced to turn over the statement incriminating De la Garza. The DA's Office wrote the counsel for the Cameron County Commissioners Court asking for the document Oct. 12. So far, it is unknown whether they, or the auditors, have complied. 

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

We can't expect Luis Saenz to take on Aurora de la Garza...she is more powerful than he is politically in Cameron County. We can only expect Luis to avoid Aurora and allow the corruption from her office to continue. Luis has no huevos and we can't expect him to take any action against political corruption or voter fraud in this county. His is a part of the problem; not part of any solution to the corruption.

Anonymous said...

entonces si no tiene huevos para que chingados sive en ese puesto, aparte es medio pendejo acuerdense que la esposa del dr. cisneros salio del bote por culpa de el, y por ultimo alguien dingale que no le queda el bigote.

Anonymous said...

November 7, 2012 4:38 PM

Luis?????????? Where are your huevos??? Who ate them???? :(

Anonymous said...

Let the ridiculous conspiracy theories begin!

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why we are blaming Pete Gilman for what his daughter did or did not do .Mr.Gilman has proven to be an exceptional attorney ,he is hard working and dedicated to his job he has earned the respect of his piers. His actions have proven to be those of a loving father to his daughter, he was there when she needed him what is wrong with that? As parents don't we help our children no matter what so why are we judging him...i pray there is more fathers like him. I hope he gets an Opportunity to have a position of authority...he is qualified .he deserves 1st DA.Assistant.based on his work.

Anonymous said...

WOW, YOU DON'T SEE THE CONFLICT OF INTREST WITH GILMAN AND HIS DAUGHTER? INTRESTING POINT OF VIEW LUIS...

Anonymous said...

Anon. 9:39 PM, I agree! Parents can't control what their adult children do. But, as loving and supportive husband, he is there for his wife and her child. Good for you, Pete Gilman! Unless and until he abuses his position within the DA's office to aid her, I have NO problem with him being employed by the DA.

Anonymous said...

Forget all this! Whoever the special prosecutor that gets assigned, it will still be a questionable incident? This will unfortunately be the first test in the Luis Saenz' tenure? Only time will tell before we start casting stones at the glass house. Why hasn't Carlos Cascos or any other commissioners questioned this incident? These were taxpayers who pay for Aurora's salary and they want answers to why an affidavit (if it does exist) disappear? Or why Aurora herself allowed it to continue or keep quiet about it? We all know that she is a good friend of Irma "Loose Tongue" Gilman. How else do you think that her daughter got the job in Aurora's office? That is one of the biggest problems in CC? Too many family members working in the county along with "too" close friendships!

Anonymous said...

Luis will prove by the people he selects to be in his office whether he is willing to take action against corruption or just continue corruption as usual. How he deals with Aurora de la Garza will be one sign. Another will be how he deals with Carlos Masso. Another will be whether he will take action agains Linda Salazar...an Aurora wannabe. Actually, my guess is that Luis Saenz will continue to be part of the "injustice" system here. He will do nothing to clean up the County....because he is and has been part of the slime-ball politics in the county courthouse for years.

Anonymous said...

HOW DO WE EXPECT LIUIS SAENZ TO BATTLE CORRUPTION IF HENISMPART OF PROBLEM? WHEN HE REPRESENTED ZEKE SILVA HE MADE THE POINT THAT ZEKE WAS QUALIFIED TOMRUN FOR CITY COMMISSION WHEN A BABY COULD READ THE LAW AND SEE THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.

Anonymous said...

Pete Gilman is an honorable and hard working man. He is no more responsible for the actions of an adult child than you would be!

Anonymous said...

no pasa nada, puras componendas,alque pongas es lo mismo,'PERRO QUE COME PERRO AUNQUE LE QUEMES EL HOCICO' ya es hora que entre el fbi.

Anonymous said...

Gilman needs huevos cause his wife Irma thinks she is the attorney and poor thing he must have been blind when he fell for her. I know for a fact that she tried to screw over a poor lady who hired Gilman and she took it upon herself to try to keep the poor lady's money. Like mother like daughter. Gilman is to blame cause he knows exactly what is going on and turns a deaf ear.
He lives with these two crooked women and if he does not know what is going on in his own home or office then he is not worthy of serving the public because he will turn a deaf ear at his convenience and not take the blame. He has lack of experience since his wife has robbed him of it by taking over his his office.

rita