It was nearly one year ago that we learned from the Chief City Auditor, Edmundo Calderon, that City Rep. Cassandra Hernandez and her husband helped themselves to $6,691 of City gas in 2022 while former City Rep. Claudia Lizette Rodriguez spent $5,294.
Both were reprimanded by the City Ethics Review Commission for abusing their privileges.
Now we learn that the two politicians engaged in this abusive behavior over a longer period of time than previously known, thanks to the agenda backup for the May 1 meeting of the Financial Oversight and Audit Committee, posted a short while ago.
Between January 2020 and April 2023, Hernandez spent a total of $13,115 on City fuel, or 33% of the total usage among the Mayor and City Council.
Meanwhile, between January 2020 and January 2023 Rodriguez spent $11,178, or 28% of the total usage among the Mayor and City Council.
In the new audit figures, there is evidence of the same abusive practices we saw in the original audit of 2022 gas usage.
And these two thieves are both currently running for office!
TOMMY GONZALEZ AND FLIGHT REIMBURSEMENTS
In a separate document, also posted to the FOAC agenda, you will see that former City Manager Tommy Gonzalez was reimbursed $1,457 for airline tickets that he had purchased with points rather than cash, and he still owes the City money!
We have no doubt that our local media will dig into these numbers and publish a gaggle of reports in the coming days, probably early next week, but we told you first!
Bring your popcorn and drinks to the FOAC meeting this Wednesday, May 1 at 2:00pm to learn more about how Hernandez, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez ripped off the taxpayers of El Paso.
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