El Paso Ethics Commission to review gas card misuse complaint against representative Cassandra Hernandez

KFOX14/CBS4
by Erika Esquivel
Fri, June 23rd 2023, 2:58 PM GMT-7

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso Ethics Commission will hear the ethics complaint filed by an El Paso citizen against representative Cassandra Hernandez for her misuse of gas cards.

George Zavala, who is the person who filed the compliant, said the Ethics Commission would hear the compliant on July 19 at 5:30 p.m.

Zavala said if more time was needed it another hearing would take place on July 20 at 5:30 p.m.

Zavala lives in the district Hernandez represents.

This comes after representative Cassandra Hernandez was found misusing her city-issued gas card.

George Zavala held a press conference on May 26 in front of City Hall to announce he was filing the ethics complaint.

Zavala filed the ethics complaint with the City Ethics Review Commission for what he alleges are multiple violations of the City Ethics Ordinance.

“At the end of the day it impacts people like me,” said Zavala.

“We’re scratching to get by and then you have Mrs. Hernandez spending over $6,000 in gas in one year. Yes, she paid it back but that doesn’t stop what she did wrong," Zavala said. “She needs to be disciplined or removed, depends on what the ethics committee decides."

Zavala is also demanding city representatives and the mayor to listen to their constituents.

A "fuel card use" review provided by the El Paso Internal Audit Office revealed "high use" for gas cards issued to Hernandez and former city representative Claudia Lizette Rodriguez.

The findings revealed transactions made while Hernandez was out of town.

In other instances, the gas card was used outside of El Paso.

Hernandez said she would pay back the $6,700 after a review revealed excessive fuel spending by two members of the city council.

The chief auditor for the city recommended the city changes its gas card policy after the results of the review.