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 could potentially 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.
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).