We reported that on September 26, our City Council discussed a “Complaint against [an] elected official” with Frank Garza, the City’s outside counsel.
According to Martin Paredes of El Paso News, Oaxaca is accused of gaining access to confidential files from a City computer, of accessing confidential information from Executive Sessions, and of impersonating her husband in her email correspondence with the City Attorney’s Office.
If this is true, there may be a violation of Section 33.02(b) of Texas law, which states that breach of computer security is a “state jail felony if the computer, computer network, or computer system is owned by the government or a critical infrastructure facility.”
Did Rep. Rivera knowingly grant his wife access to his computer and did she help herself to confidential information?
Apparently there has already been an investigation by Human Resources and, if Paredes is correct, the findings were presented in Executive Session.
After exiting from Executive Session, Rep. Molinar stated: “Motion made, second and carried, that the City Council accepts the preliminary findings of the investigation and directs the City Manager to arrange for the conduct of further investigation with a broadened scope.”
CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THE COMPLAINT MONDAY
Again according to Martin Paredes, this Monday our City Council will discuss the complaint under agenda item EX2. He claims to have confirmation that City Rep. Henry Rivera of District 7 is the defendant in question.
Paredes also affirms, as in his previous report, that a former Rivera staffer may have attempted suicide because of intolerable working conditions at his office.
We may learn more at tomorrow’s meeting.
PHOTO CREDIT: El Paso Times 4/30/20.