El Paso City Council candidate Arturo Alluin has amended his campaign finance report, removing clothing expenses and updating the description of a haircut contribution after the initial filing placed him under public scrutiny for potential ethics violations.
In his original report, filed July 16, Alluin reported spending more than $2,500 in “campaign clothing” from Brooks Brothers and Dillard’s.
The Texas Election Code prohibits candidates from using campaign contributions for personal expenditures, including business attire that can be adapted for everyday clothing, according to a ruling from the Texas Ethics Commission.
Alluin’s initial report showed he purchased clothes using a credit card and personal funds with the intention to reimburse himself using political donations. Alluin removed the Brooks Brothers and Dillard’s expenses in his correction filed July 21.
Alluin declined interviews with El Paso Matters reporters and editors on the amended filing, asking to meet in person with CEO Robert Moore, who is out of town this week. He referred El Paso Matters to “news publications available.”
“I’m not asking for any reimbursement,” Alluin told KFOX in a report published July 22. “That’s my investment into the campaign and I didn’t touch a single dollar from my donors’ contributions.”
He told KFOX that he campaigned from February to May “without receiving a dollar from any donor.” However, both his original and amended reports show he received more than $23,000 in monetary contributions from donors in April and May. The last clothing expenditure noted in his original report was a $776.60 credit card purchase at Brooks Brothers in June.
Alluin is running for District 8 to represent South-Central El Paso, Downtown and part of the Westside. The seat is now held by city Rep. Chris Canales, who has not formally announced whether he is seeking reelection.
Alluin owns several restaurants in El Paso – Sushiitto, also spelled Sushi Itto; Meduza, now known as Mykonos Mediterranean Steakhouse; and the Melting Pot.
His campaign finance amendment lowers his total political expenditures from about $42,800 to $37,200. There appears to be discrepancies in how he filled out his expenditures and the calculations are unclear as some expenditures seem to appear twice.
On Monday, Alluin said he bought professional attire for his campaign because he “didn’t dress like this before.” When asked if he was aware of the ruling that restricts clothing purchases, Alluin said he was not.
But following the El Paso Matters article, Alluin appeared on television news stations KINT, KVIA and KFOX with a different response. Alluin told KFOX the campaign report included clerical errors that came from his inexperience in campaign finance reporting and his attempt to be transparent.
“I self-financed and invested in my campaign and incurred all those expenses because I thought it was the right investment for the campaign,” Alluin told KFOX. “I didn’t go to high-end, profile boutique stores. I didn’t buy any Louis Vuitton or Gucci, like I went to the Outlets and bought four suits and five white shirts because I believe your personal image is important.”
Though the official filing period opened July 18, Alluin filed his campaign treasurer appointment in February, which allowed him to begin fundraising. Campaign finance reports were due July 15 for any fundraising between Jan. 1 to June 30 or from the time of filing a campaign treasurer appointment.
Two other candidates have filed campaign treasurer appointments to run in District 8: Matthew Guzman, who filed in May, and Laura Ochoa-Todd, who filed Wednesday. Guzman reported raising $8,550 in contributions and spending just less than $2,400 on campaign advertising, including design, printing, mailing and website costs.
Canales reported having more than $10,000 in contributions in his campaign bank account from previous reporting periods. Sitting elected officials must file semi-annual campaign finance reports.
Alluin reported receiving more than $30,200 in monetary and non-monetary, also known as in-kind, contributions.
His amendment shows an updated description of an in-kind donation of $1,000 from El Paso hairdresser Jairo Calvo. The report clarifies the contribution is for $50 haircuts twice a month for nine months.
His more than $6,000 spent on food and beverages, including at his own restaurants, remain on the amended report. The highest, single food and beverage expense was more than $2,000 for his campaign kickoff event at his restaurant, Sushiitto. Other expenses included a $273 bill at Hotel Paso del Norte and a $360 bill at Cafe Central for campaign strategy meetings.
The deadline to file for candidacy for the Nov. 3 election is Aug. 17.
El Paso Matters editor Cindy Ramirez contributed to this report.
The post After scrutiny, El Paso City Council candidate removes clothing expenses from campaign finance report appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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