According to her January 15 campaign finance report, embattled City Rep. Cassandra Hernandez of District 3 raised $0.00 in campaign contributions between July 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.
In fact, records show she did not receive a single monetary political contribution from the time the gas card scandal became public, in May 2023, through the end of the year.
On June 30, 2023, she loaned herself $6,000 for “unitemized” expenses, and then she loaned herself another $6,660 on December 29, 2023.
Thus, her current finance report indicates that her outstanding loan balance is $12,660.
That makes perfect sense, since she paid the Valenzuela Law Firm $6,500 on September 6, 2023 and then another $6,660 on December 29, 2023, for a total of $13,160, presumably in support of her legal defense during her two hearings before the City Ethics Review Commission.
Hernandez was presented with a Letter of Reprimand on July 24 affirming that she used her position “to secure unwarranted privileges for [herself], relatives or others” and that the misuse was “intentional.” In 2022 alone she had purchased 1,944 gallons of taxpayer-funded gasoline at a cost of $6,691 and made purchases on consecutive days 23 times.
Far from expressing remorse, Hernandez released a statement on May 3, 2023 accusing the Financial Oversight and Audit Committee (FOAC) of using their power to “attack minority members of city council by cherry-picking gas card expenses.”
Her current report also shows that as of December 31 she had only $1,302.37 cash on hand. Early this month she received $1,500 from the El Paso Municipal Officers’ Association, which means she has at least $2,802.37 on hand to run for Mayor this November.
Of course, whoever donates money to her campaign will be helping to repay her $13,160 loan for her recent legal defense.
Call us misinformed, but Cassandra Hernandez seems to be in an exceptionally weak financial position to run for Mayor.
We are going to go on a limb and predict that her political career will be over when she finishes her current term in 356 days.
PHOTO CREDIT: Cassandra Hernandez, City Council representative for District 3, consults with her attorney, Felix Valenzuela, prior to the start of an Ethics Commission hearing related to her alleged misuse of a gas card on July 19. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters).
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