Valley Central 4
Campaign contributions by Baltazar Salazar, an attorney for the Brownsville Independent School District, are at the center of an ethics complaint.
He gave Cesar Lopez, an appointed board member in 2013 who’s now seeking election in November, $4,000, according to campaign finance reports.
Caty Presas-Garcia, a fellow school board member since 2008, called the contributions a breach of Salazar’s contract with the district.
“Giving $4,000, when you're a board attorney, and you give $4,000 to an existing board member, that's not a very good message out there," Presas-Garcia said.
Campaign finance reports indicated Lopez received two contributions from Salazar, which included $2,500 on June 23rd and $1,500 on July 18th.
Presas-Garcia said she planned to file a complaint with the State Bar of Texas.
“For me, you're securing your votes and you're becoming this buddy, buddy friend with the candidates,” she told Action 4’s Ryan Wolf. “So when your time comes around to extend your contract, you're already in versus being based on the experience and ethics that you follow."
The portion of Salazar's contract in question is under the section “Gift to Public Servant,” according to Presas-Garcia.
That section of the contract stated: “General Counsel warrants that he has not given, nor does he intend to give, at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discounts, trips, favors, or service to a public servant in connection with the award of this agreement.”
Salazar explained over the phone that his political contributions do not violate his contract.
“The reason ‘in connection with’ is so important because if you read the whole paragraph, the idea is that if somebody were to give a campaign contribution in exchange for a contract or exchange for an extension then that would be illegal," he said.
Lopez doesn't feel the contributions violated anything either.
He said the process of receiving campaign contributions is permitted almost everywhere.
Lopez told Action 4 News he votes simply based on the best interest of the district and not on who gave money to his campaign.
Campaign contributions by Baltazar Salazar, an attorney for the Brownsville Independent School District, are at the center of an ethics complaint.
He gave Cesar Lopez, an appointed board member in 2013 who’s now seeking election in November, $4,000, according to campaign finance reports.
Caty Presas-Garcia, a fellow school board member since 2008, called the contributions a breach of Salazar’s contract with the district.“Giving $4,000, when you're a board attorney, and you give $4,000 to an existing board member, that's not a very good message out there," Presas-Garcia said.
Campaign finance reports indicated Lopez received two contributions from Salazar, which included $2,500 on June 23rd and $1,500 on July 18th.
Presas-Garcia said she planned to file a complaint with the State Bar of Texas.
“For me, you're securing your votes and you're becoming this buddy, buddy friend with the candidates,” she told Action 4’s Ryan Wolf. “So when your time comes around to extend your contract, you're already in versus being based on the experience and ethics that you follow."
The portion of Salazar's contract in question is under the section “Gift to Public Servant,” according to Presas-Garcia.
That section of the contract stated: “General Counsel warrants that he has not given, nor does he intend to give, at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discounts, trips, favors, or service to a public servant in connection with the award of this agreement.”
“The reason ‘in connection with’ is so important because if you read the whole paragraph, the idea is that if somebody were to give a campaign contribution in exchange for a contract or exchange for an extension then that would be illegal," he said.
Lopez doesn't feel the contributions violated anything either.
He said the process of receiving campaign contributions is permitted almost everywhere.
Lopez told Action 4 News he votes simply based on the best interest of the district and not on who gave money to his campaign.
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16 comments:
Balthazar just hung himself and Cesar, he said it's illegal to give contributions for his contract which Cesar voted for.
Bunch of crooks!
The voters should ask Chirinos, Minerva, Otis why they gave Baltazar the contract?
The votes should dmand that Catita be removed for being a rota de DOS patas...like she likes to say!
Juan follow the money, that's all you have to do. What about the felonies Baltazar Salazar was accused of and convicted (Theft), he should be out of a job. Does the B.I.S.D. have a double standard. This guy is a crook, How on earth did he get hired, we will all go out to vote and we will vote against Salazar and Lopez.We have a very big silent group just waiting for election day. This idiots won't fool us, not this time.And you Joe Rodriguez and El Pelon watch your step with Salazar or the other Ladies will overcome you.We're all watching in the sidelines but, just wait on election day.
Juan follow the money, that's all you have to do. What about the felonies Baltazar Salazar was accused of and convicted (Theft), he should be out of a job. Does the B.I.S.D. have a double standard. This guy is a crook, How on earth did he get hired, we will all go out to vote and we will vote against Salazar and Lopez.We have a very big silent group just waiting for election day. This idiots won't fool us, not this time.And you Joe Rodriguez and El Pelon watch your step with Salazar or the other Ladies will overcome you.We're all watching in the sidelines but, just wait on election day.
I'm a professional (Blue Blood)a community leader and hang out with other Blue bloods and we have never witness the atrocities that take place at our childrens school district.I have to tell you, it's appalling, we are completely in disbelieve. How on earth can a person or individual like Salazar get hired, Who authorize it? It's only a matter of time before all this blows up upon the Superintendent and Board members. We are all watching very closely, Salazar supporters are not getting our votes and my groups vote and we are many Professionals and we vote.Mr.Montoya you are doing a very good journalistic job exposing this characters for who they really are.Thank You for your journalistic prose.
Herman and Minerva (Petunia) Pig also had their thieving hands to be greased .
Mr. Montoya, I urge you to look into the Special Services Dept. A lot of Federal money.Kids being diagnosed as Sp.Ed students for the benefit of the school district state ratings.Attorney's fees galore. This students are being labeled when infact they are not Sp.Ed.All personnel in Special Service are committing injusticies based on directives from their superiors at Special Services and Administration.They need to be reign in and we feel your the one to do it.We've already reach out to another journalist who's agreed to do undercover work on Special Services activities and personnel, their comes and goes and how they diagnose students and services they provide but we need your help, with awareness to this silent Dept. Thank you, Mr. Montoya for the attention to this matter. A concern parent.....
Blue bloods? Professional? Your writing gives you away as anything else but........
Hog wash! Sp.Ed dept. Is busy trying to reduce the number of students identified. They keep asking principals to truly work with their students before referring them. All students deserve a chance to be successful.
Brown bloods also contribute to this blogg.
The blue blood must be infected with the Ebola virus. I was exhausted after reading that person's juvenile attempt to develop a convincing argument. You and your other "blues" could take a lesson from ghetto folk.
What else is new? Peyton Place at BISD and we all sit and watch the "novela." Take note voters and make wise decisions this Nov. 4. Elect those who know the real facts and are exposing the crooks. Two ladies are stepping on the ingrown toenails of the other board members and so they are now screaming bloddy murder. Yet, we don't learn. We run 4 candidates for the same position to have obvious run-offs. Elect people with new young blood that are sincere and not old and vandictive. Some need to go to the nursing home or the state hospital. Some need to shut their mouth and concentrate on other things besides making sure their face comes out in all pictures.
Don't forget the Blue-Blood Nacos.
Losing proposition challenging that contract based on the wording. The contract doesn't prohibit campaign contributions by the attorney. At the time of writing/signing, it merely states Salazar has "no intention" to contribute. Intentions change all the time, especially when circumstances change.
If I were Presas-Garcia, I would be more concerned with the uneducated, juvenile quotes attributed to me in this coverage. Sounds more like schoolyard petty bickering than intelligent district leadership.
If you want to get rid of Salazar, do it on his allegedly falsified application. If the DA won't prosecute (more than likely not, as Saenz has proven he's part of the problem), take to AG, state bar and TEA.
the truth is many parents in BISD want their children labeled special. it makes their school work easier, and they dont have ti take state mandated exams plus din't forget that disability check every month. our community thrives at working/milking the system. the people in the glass palace simply go along because it also means more money for BISD. this is why they dont enforce zoning for all the kids that cime from matamoros. kids=money. go to Gateway bridge at 3pm there is a cummings middle school bus that drops off kids there. and see them all walk home to matamoros. what about home visits? non existent
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