A Brownsville resident has filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission against City of Brownsville District 3 candidate Deborah Portillo charging that she knowingly accepted contributions from several corportions in voilation of the Texas Election Code and that she contributed to her own campaign using an address for her residence ooutside the district she is running for.
Kimberly Dale filed the notarized complaint electronically Friday .
Initially, District 3 candidate Martin Sarkis had filed a criminal complaint against Portillo with the Brownsville Police Dept. but the local police have said they are still investigating the matter even though early voting has already concluded and the election is on Saturday. Portillo, in a newspaper ad, said she had returned one $250 donation to Jewelry Corner Inc., one of the corporations listed in her campaign reports.
The violation of Title 15 § 253.094 of the Texas Election Code prohibits a candidate from receiving a contribution from a corporation.A violation of this section is a third-degree felony and carries penalties that range from paying her opponents in the race twice the amount of the contribution. Additionally, the state can seek penalties of three times the contribution as a fine for a true finding of a crime.A conviction could result in her removal from office if she happens to win the expected runoff in that race.
In her complaint, Dale states that "Candidate for Brownsville City Commission District 3, Deborah Portillo listed on her March I, 2013-Apriì 11, 2013 Campaign Finance Report that she received campaign contributions from four corporations in violation 'ihe Elections Code. On March 28, 201.3, Portillo accepted a contribution from Holiday Inn Express for $500.00. On March 28, 2013, Portiìlo accepted a contribution from Grana Justo, LLC for $500.
"On March 28, 2013, Portillo accepted a contribution from Hampton inn & Suites $500. On March 14, 2013, Portillo accepted a contribution from Jewelry Corner, inc. in the amount of $250..
"Separately, Candidate Deborah Portillo lists her address as 5774 Broken Spoke, Brownsville, TX 78526 for campaign purposes. But on her Campaign Report, she states that she received a campaign contribution from herself, Deborah Portillo, on April 9, 2013, but lists as her address 404 Rancho Viejo Blvd., Brownsville, TX.78526 which is in local District 2 not District 3.
"lf she is in fact living in District 2, then she should not be a candidate for District 3."
Portillo, a former executive secretary for United Brownsville, is seen as one of the three candidates being supported by Mayor Tony Martinez, a member of the United Brownsville organization as well. The other two candidates on the United Brownsville slate are John Villarreal, co-chair of United Brownsville and Rose Gowen, also a member of the United Brownsville board.
There are four city commission members on the board of United Brownsville, leading critics to contend that it is really the power behind the city and that the city commission is really a rubber stamp for the board controlled by IBC banker Fred Rusteberg, UTB President Julieta Garcia and Matamoros native and manipulator Carlos Marin, whose company Ambiotech has garnered millionaire contracts with the city which originally created Imagine Brownsville, now United Brownsville.
United Brownsville is funded by annual $25,000 "donations from public taxpayer-funded entities. The outcome of the city commission elections will determine whether the current undue influence that United Brownsville has on the city commission and its actions will continue or whether the challengers - Letty Perez-Garzoria (District 4), and Robert Uresti (At Large-B) will upset those plans.
15 comments:
The District 2 address is her parent's address. She lives in District 3. I see Sarkis is still being negative. He can pay a politiquera like Kimberly Dale but he can't pay his property taxes. He's really getting desperate. Word in his campaign is he'll have to file for bankruptcy if he loses. If his "staff" want to get paid they have to work extra hard. He also has been begging Ernie & Norma to bring people to the polls for him.
In the end all the unethical practices promoted by Tony Martinez will go away. The Cameron Co. DA will prosecute Kari Mata but not these unethical people. Didn't Tony say in his campaign that he wanted to promote a policy of ethics in government.....but once in he saw the need for unethical practices to promote his authoritarian regime.
This dumb chick is sooooo stupid and inmature. This is not high school little girl. This is grown up buisness and you screwed up and Martin Sarkis has the balls and the brains to look and see you are not qualified to be a commissioner. What he did was what any professional would do and that is point your illegal actions. Regardless if you admit the mistake you still SCREWED UP. Running the city is not a game.You know you have no idea what to do. You are still very much dependant on your parents and aren't mature. Melissa Zamora is a prime example.She screwed every man that would do what she wanted and would help her look smart or add credibility to her. She was always drunk and screwing married men and you will be easily pursuaded to vote how these men tell you. At the end Melissa Zamora did nothing for District 3 and you would do nothing as well. You are to inmature and you are nothing more than a puppet for Tony Martinez. You are his 4 vote. Now for your lack of seriousness in filling out your campaign report you have now broken the law. The city of Brownsville can't afford you Deborah.
get off it juan. You're lookinmg like a PENDEJO. Used & abused.
I can not believe the police officers are supporting these thieves. I guess it makes sense since the police chief and commissioner estela vasquez are blood relatives. Tony your master plan to destroy and bankrupt brownsville is giving frutation,you got two of commissioners in,Rose Gowen and John Villarreal,now all you need is Deborah Portillo. Tony,you little devil you,even with all the money that you will eventually steal from brownsville,you will always be remembered as the worst mayor this city had. But of course by then you and your lackey commissioners would be laughing all the way to the bank,you are a poor excuse for a human being.
Sour grapes!
GET OUT OF YOUR PINCHE COMA JUAN,.....MAMON!!!....;YA NONLE MAMES LA CERGA A REY JUAN!!!!
MACLOVIO OMALLEY
So this assumption qualifies a known Bar Fly for City Commission? Brownsville non voters allow this to happen. You all suck the big one just like your Bar Fly has been known for.
So Silvia Perez Garza, and her Aunt Herminia getting the politiquera's votes for Debbie?
Why doesn't anyone go after the fact that she forgot to pay United Brownsville's credit card statement for four months? She was too busy planning parties and buying coffee at starbucks to think about bills. She is severely unqualified to run a business and much less a city. If Oscar Garcia thinks getting her in will guarantee him the city manager's position he is daydreaming. Go ask mommy for a job, sapo.
^ this.
You can only run on the contacts and the propaganda learned over 9 months before you run out of ideas. From that point, does Debbie come up with her own ideas or continue as the groomed puppet Mike González was looking for? I'm very disappointed that this city always falls for the money and name recognition versus the knowledge. Very smart, innovative people get overlooked on the daily across this city because we aren't part of the good ole boy system.
I have an enormous amount of angst in regards to how the public servants here ignore dissent in favor of the uninformed cheerleading.
Everyone has their swan song, I suppose...mine is different from the well connected and social climbers. I guess it's just that pesky moral turpitude of mine...always thinking of personal growth versus personal enrichment.
-moshimoshi
Anonymous at 10:42 am You should run for office, I would vote for you>
The word is "immature," not "inmature", Mr. Felon.
Paraphrasing Joseph De Maistre,
“Every city has the government it deserves.”
Christian
Is being a slut a prerequisite for the district 3 position? If so, she's qualified like her predecesor.
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