A community activist and Internet blogger, Jaime Abeytia, lodged a complaint Thursday with the county’s ethics board against Jaime O. Perez, the chief of staff to County Judge Anthony Cobos.
Abeytia, who publishes The LionStar blog, alleged in an interview that Perez violated the county’s ethics code by posting a letter using a county computer while on county time to an El Paso Times online blog that endorsed a slate of City Council candidates.
The original complaint did not include the allegation about use of a computer but Abeytia said he intends to amend his complaint to add that allegation. [Editor's note: The previous paragraph was corrected at 10 a.m. Friday, March 20, 2009, to reflect the difference between the allegation in the interview and the filed complaint.]
Today, Abeytia filed a revised complaint with the El Paso County Board of Ethics adding the charge that Perez used a county computer to send the letter. (Download a copy of that complaint below)
On March 12, a Thursday, at 11:30 a.m. Perez posted a long letter on the blog of the Times’ city hall reporter, Gustavo Reveles, on behalf of the Americans for Energy Independence Political Action Committee.
“When AEI PAC asked for me to participate in the selection of candidates to endorse for the May city election, I was happy to do it,” Perez’s letter states.
Perez went on to say that AIC PAC endorses the Reform Slate for City Council consisting of mayoral candidate Alexander F. “AlFrank” Catucci, Howard Barton for District 2 city representative, Jose Alexandro Lozano for District 3, incumbent Melina Castro for District 4 and Robert Larson Barron for District 7.
“It is my belief that the post was written on the El Paso Times blog in violation of the El Paso County Code of Ethics, Section X, paragraph A,” Abeytia said.
He adding that Perez was also seen helping a candidate, Larson, file for office at City Hall during a recent City Council meeting.
The county’s ethics code, Section X, addresses “county time and equipment,” and states, “No non-elected county official or employee shall engage in political activities during any hours he or she is paid to actually work for the county.”
It also states, “No county official or employee shall utilize county equipment or supplies of any kind for political purposes.”
Abeytia states in his revised complaint that both alleged acts, helping Larson at City Hall and sending the endorsement letter, "are clearly campaign-related and political in nature."
"This is in no way an attempt to silence Mr. Perez or infringe on his constitutionally protected right to free speech, but given the fact that Mr. Perez ... is an employ of the county of El Paso, it is, in my belief, inappropriate to post campaign material during county business hours or on county equipment, or to assist political candidates file to run for office while being paid by the taxpayers of El Paso County," Abeytia's revised complaint reads, in part.
Seeking comment from Perez, Newspaper Tree approached him a few minutes after 4 p.m. Thursday as he stood on the sidewalk near the door of HusH, a Downtown bar that Perez owns and operates at 504 N. Stanton.
“It’s really unfortunate,” Perez said of the complaint, adding a derogatory comment about city Reps. Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega.
Perez then stepped inside the bar and closed the door. When Newspaper Tree tried to enter, Perez held the door shut.
“The bar is closed, babe,” Perez said.
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To reach David Crowder, write to dcrowder@epmediagroup.com or call (915) 351-0605, ext. 30
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