SUNSHINE AND TRANSPARENCY ANYONE?
Big Money & the PDNG Influence-Peddlers Behind O’Rourke
“We want the public to have great confidence that their elected officials are making decisions based on the best information and the best ideas, not on who contributed to whose campaign. Although I don't believe it is a perfect solution, I am in favor of campaign finance limits as a way to move us in this direction. Rep. O'Rourke disagreed, believing that the limits as proposed by the Ethics Commission ($500 for City Council races and $2,000 for the Mayor's race) didn't substantially address the issue and would be easy to get around (Ex. Rather than a business interest giving $10,000 outright, they would have principals in the business each give $2,000). He believes that sunshine and transparency are better at limiting undue influence than campaign contribution limits.”
—Susie Byrd, “An Explanation of Some Ethics Options” (NPT, 10-3-05)
BELOW IS A LIST of the Paso Del Norte Group members who recently contributed to the re-election campaign of Rep. Robert Francis O’Rourke. Two years ago, O’Rourke warned about how easy it is to cover your tracks when it comes to campaign contributions that border on corruption. He was right. His own financial disclosure forms definitely demonstrate that contribution limits that would prevent conflict of interest and undue power-peddling are easy to get around. The majority of his own campaign contributions totaling more than $44,000 (an extremely high figure for an El Paso city council representative) come from Paso Del Norte Group members and their associates—mostly real estate developers, bankers, oilmen, corporate attorneys and other members of the El Paso-Juárez-Santa Teresa wealthy ruling class. Many of them seem to bypass the $250 cap on contributions by giving money in the name of spouses, relatives and business associates.
Quite a few of these Paso Del Norte Group members have gotten themselves appointed to local and regional commissions where their undue influence seems to benefit their own business interests rather well. Mr. O’Rourke, for those of you that haven’t been keeping up, was himself a member of the PDNG while he voted on issues pertaining to the Paso Del Norte Group demolition plan. His father-in-law Bill Sanders, his wife and mother are all members of the PDNG.
Several of the PDNG members who are backing O’Rourke are also huge contributors to Governor Perry and have gotten themselves appointed to state commissions as well. J. Robert Brown, PDNG member and president of Desert Eagle Distributing Co. Brown gave Perry $129,513. He is also one of the contributors listed below. The other O’Rourke supporter whose apparent generosity is more than likely responsible for getting a state appointment is Ted Houghton, a financial consultant who the first El Pasoan to serve on the Texas Transportation Commission. He gave Perry about $7,000 between 2001 to 2005. He was appointed to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in November 2003 and previously was on the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents. [Read “Appointees from EP contribute thousands to Perry”]
O’Rourke likes to call himself a “progressive.” Wow! For a liberal he sure does have a lot of extreme right-wing champions of his cause behind him including Woody Hunt and Dee Margo, a close buddy of the Bushes. Another one of the biggest Republican power peddlers in town, Stanley Jobe, is also putting his money behind O’Rourke.
Let us share with you a short bio of this particular Republican O’Rourkian:
“In 1983, Stanley started his own company, Jobe Concrete Products, with help from his dad and Chesley Pruet, a millionaire uncle on his mother’s side. Pruet is an oil magnate in Arkansas. According to the campaign finance watchdog group Common Cause, he and his wife have given $325,000 over the years to Republican causes and candidates. When Jobe Concrete Company opened, Chesley Pruet owned a quarter of it. The company mined rock from local quarries to make concrete for builders. Business progressed at a clip, and Jobe expanded into banking. In addition to contributing to mayoral and city council races, Jobe and his wife, Martie, and his sister Irene Epperson have given thousands to candidates for state and federal offices. Even more important, they recommend candidates to their friends, and tap the latter for money. The only time any politico seems to have balked at Jobe money was when Stanley was serving time for bank fraud. According to court records, from 1989 to 1991, he and his father were part of an elaborate check kiting scheme at a bank they owned in Montana, and at the local El Paso State Bank and Continental National Bank. Stanley was convicted in 1994. He served several months in prison and was placed on probation for five years. About the time his probation ended, he married a lawyer and former County Commissioner, Martie Georges, who began lobbying for a presidential pardon, which he received on President Clinton’s last day in office.” —Debbie Nathan, Texas Observer, April 11, 2003
Still another PDNG member with a criminal indictment who has contributed in the past to O’Rourke’s political campaign is Chris Balsiger, the CEO of IOS. Mr. Balsiger has allegedly bilked his clients out of more than 250 million dollars through a binational coupon fraud scheme. Recently his name appeared as a host for a fundraiser for Mr. O’Rourke. O’Rourke has repeatedly claimed the the PDNG members are composed entirely of self-sacrificing, altruistic “volunteers” who have nothing but the best interests of the community at heart.
Yeah, right.
How can Mr. Robert Francis O’Rourke, the alleged “progressive representative of the Segundo Barrio” be the public face of all of these guys?
Maybe his campaign posters should read:
Robert Francis O’Rourke. One Agenda. Enrich the PDNG.
Here’s the list of political contributions by Paso Del Norte Group members and their spouses to the Robert Francis O’Rourke campaign taken from the recent public disclosure form at the City of El Paso site. The list is not exhaustive because it is likely that many monetary contributions by PDNG members are hidden behind the names of business associates and relatives:
1.Nicole Adame and Mary Margaret Adame, related to Rafael Adame, President of Mexus Group-$500
2. Scott Adkins- $100
3. J. Aguilar-architect-$100
4. Sandra Almanzan- Director of the border region office of Fanny Mae, member of the PDNG executive committee-$150
5. Richard Amstater -Retail broker, RJL Real Estate Consultants-$250
6. David Austin & (Susan F. Austin)-CPA and government affairs consultant-$350.00
7. Bob Ayoub -President of Mimco Inc. Ayoub, Owns several buildings in the downtown historic incentive zone and around the zone which will be the future Sunland Park-Lomas de Poleo crossing -$250
8. Angel Beltran-restaurant owner- $250
9. Claude Billings- through his wife Sarah Billings-Vice President of Verde Realty Co.-$200.00
10. John Broaddus-Executive Board of the Texas Society of CPAs- $100
11. Sonny Brown-Chairman and Founder of Sonny Brown Associates, an international commercial and industrial real estate consulting firm. Former director of the El Paso Industrial Development Corporation.-$250
12. Hughes Buttleworth-attorney- $250.00
13. Jose F. Cardenas-Board of Professional Engineers-$100,
14. Jim Cardwell-Chairman and CEO of Petro Truck Stops-$250
15. William R. Fowler III - $250
16. Jack Chapman-partner at Kemp Smith-$250
17. Ken Clarence-$250
18. Ross Dahman-President of Huntleigh Communications Group in El Paso-$150
19. Clinton Dean - $250.00
20. Steve DeGroate-financial planner-$100
21. Mike Dipp and wife Suzanne-Central Business Association president and owner of Hotel Plaza-$350
22. Cliff Eisenbergher-President of American Finance and Investment Company-$250
23. Bonnie Escobar-Vice-President of Government Affairs for Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce-$250
24. Paul Foster-President of Trowbridge-Western Refining Co.-$250
25. Adam Frank-vice-president of River Oaks properties-$250
26. Lane Gaddy-Scrap metal and plastic recycling-$250
27. Charles Chuck Garrett-$250
28. Paul Douglas Gilcreas- Hunt Building Co.-$100
29. Joe Gomez-Executive vice president of Associated General Contractors of El Paso-$250
30. Patrick Gordman-appointee to the Rio Grande Compact Commission-$250
31. Ramiro Guzman-Director El Paso Electric Co-$250
32. Harold Hahn-President of Rocky Mountain Mortgage Co.-$250
33. Gary Hedrick (Leanne Hedrick)-President and Chief Executive Officer for El Paso Electric-$500
34. Hector Holguin (& Corinn Holguin)-$500
35. Lindsay Holt-Associated General Contractors of El Paso, PAC committee-$250
36. E. C. Houghton, Jr., related to Ted Houghton-financial consultant-$250
37. Bob Hoy, Jr. & Rose Hoy- owner of Hoy-Fox Toyota-$500
38. Fred Jackson-president of El Paso restaurant association-$250
39.Stanley and Martie Jobe-Owner of quarry.-$500
40. Vanessa Johnson (ex-PDNG member) former publisher of Newspaper Tree, $100
41. C.F. Jordan-Building contractor. His company’s contracts include design/build projects for the Immigration and Naturalization Service for border patrol stations, health care centers, processing centers, and other administrative offices.-$250
42. Kemp Smith LLP, $250
43. Steve Lauterbach- CPA and managing partner of Lauterbach, Borschow & Co-$150
44. Lance Levine (married with Cecilia Ochoa) -$250.
45. Caroll Maxon-$250
46. Susane Melendez-Vice-President International Bank-$100,
47. Eugenio Mesta-architect that participated in Lomas Del Sur Master Plan and Los Bravos Master plan in Juarez and the Union Plaza Streetscape Project, El Paso-$250,
48. Bert Mijares--architect, appointee to the Texas Public Finance Authority-$250
49. Mike Miles- co-chairs the strategic planning committee for Paso Del Norte Group-$250
50. Albert Richard Moore, Jr.-Managing Director of Security Capital European Realty. Director of Security Capital European Realty.-$250-
51. Martin Morgades-Real estate agent, pdng executive committee member-$100
52. John Moye-$250
53. Carlos Murguía- $250
54. Jack Niland-Vice President of sales for The Niland Company.-$250
55. Matthew Niland-$250.
56. Tom Diland-$250.
57- Chad North-through wife Caroline-City Planning Commissioner-$250
58. Oscar J. Ornelas-tax attorne-$250
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59. Melissa O’Rourke-wife of Robert and employee at La Fe clinic- $250
60.Ebetuel Pallares-UTEP economist-$250
61.Ms. Larry Patton-presidentr of Bank of the West-$250
62. Britt Porter-$250
63. Tom Pendergast--director of the Double Eagle Petroleum company-$250
64. Belen Robles--$50
65. Jim Rogers- Sunbowl Association board of directors-$250
66. Gerald Rubin-owner of Helen of Troy and several buildings in the downtown reinvestment zone.-$250
67. Jorge Slalom Jr.-Salom Investments, a real estate investment group-$250
68. Douglas Schwartz-Southwest Land Development Services- appointee to Texas Real Estate Research AdvisoryCommittee-$250
69 Emma Schwartz- $250
70. Robert Snow-$250
71. Maria Teran-a former member of the Thomason board of mangers and current member of the El Paso Utilities Public Service board-$250
72. Kate Updike- managing partner of Building Solutions, LLC, a real estate development and advisory company-$250
73. Russ Vandenburgh and Martha-heads a property management firm, EPT Management Company.-$500
74. Janice Windle-President of the El Paso Community Foundation-$100
75. Bob Wingo- owner of Sanders/Wingo ad agency that created the racist Glass Beach study -$250
76. Clinton E. "Gene" Wolf, Jr.-attorney at Kemp Smith firm.-$250-
77. Barrett Wood-Kemp Smith law firm-$60
78. Darren Woody and Maria Woody-President and CEO of C.F. Jordan. Has completed nearly $4 billion in projects including office buildings, hotels, resorts, medical facilities, industrial plants, warehouses, sports complexes, apartments, schools, military defense projects, airports, bridges, roads, utilities, and zoological facilities.-$500
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