HARASSMENT OF ANTI-MARTINEZ CANDIDATES DOCUMENTED: BROWNSVILLE POLICE, CONTRACT ATTORNEY INVOLVED?

By Juan Montoya
Even before the early voting period for the May 11 election for three seats on the Brownsville City Commission started, police officers, City Manager Charlie Cabler and city health inspectors visited the campaign fundraiser of a candidate challenging the mayor's chosen slate.
At the time, it was Letty Perez Garzoria, who is challenging incumbent John Villarreal in District 4. Villarreal called Cabler and he arrived with five squad cars to investigate the brazen campaigning against one of the mayor's candidates.
(That's Villarreal's post on the Cheezmeh FB page complaining about some Port Isabel EMS medics stopping to get  a free plate of food from their brother Brownsville firefighters supporting Perez-Garzoria).
Things have escalated to the point that on the first day of early voting, police officers intervened to warn campaign workers for her, District 3 candidate Martin Sarkis and At-Large B candidate Roberto Uresti against stepping off the curb at the Central Library site.

The visits from the police escalated to the point where the workers were removed from the entrance to the Central Public Library – an unheard of event – and told to campaign from across the street. The officers said at first said they had been sent by the mayor, then contract city attorney Mark Sossi, and left a card with Sossi's name and an ordinance number they said he had cited to remove them.
Sossi immediately  denied any involvement.
However, some firefighters supporting Perez-Garzoria said that said that the officers confirmed that they had been sent by the attorney.
The frustrated opponents of the mayor's acknowledged ticket – Deborah Portillo, Villarreal, and Rose Gowen – finally had enough and engaged the services of local civil rights champion attorney John Shergold, of Hodge and Shergold, LLP, who immediately sought a public information request to City Secretary Estella Von Hatton on behalf of the Brownsville Firefighters Association.
In that request, Shergold demands the logs of the Brownsville PD regarding police calls made concerning "an incident between the BFA and/or nay other citizen located at/or near the Brownsville Public Library central location at approximately 2 p.m.
Shergold's request includes "a copy of any recordings made by BPD dispatch regarding any calls or
complaints against any firefighter or citizen located...near the library...at any time during May 7..."
He also calls for a "detailed listing of all phone calls made or received by Marki Sossi, City Attorney using city-issued cell phone or private cell phone used for public purpose from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m...May 7..."
Shergold's information request also calls for "any or all city ordinances or state/federal law that the BPD was sent to enforce as against the BFA or any citizen located at or near the...library..."
He also calls for all investigative notes, written reports, and documents of any kind from police officers involved in making contact with members of the BFA or any other citizen at the..library..."
He also calls for a copy of the card that was shown to firefighter Marco Longoria by the Brownsville PD officer with the following numbers 2007-1432-B that also contained the name of (Sossi).
Some city workers have also reported that their supervisors are urging them to vote for the mayor's slate.
"It used to be that they would just tell you to vote," said one. "Now they are telling you to vote for either Portillo. Villarreal or Gowen. Martinez must have a lot riding in this election."
A copy was made to Martinez, the mayor, several local broadcasters and the Brownsville Herald.