Mayoral Candidates Face Scrutiny Over Campaign Finance Violations

In a surprising turn of events, a former member of the city's Ethics Review Commission, Betsy Greenberg, has filed ethics complaints against two prominent mayoral candidates in Austin, Texas. The complaints allege that both Mayor Kirk Watson and challenger Doug Greco have exceeded the campaign finance limits set by the city charter, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

Uncovering the Alleged Violations

Mayor Kirk Watson's Campaign Exceeds Limits

According to the complaint filed by Greenberg, the Watson campaign received more than the ,000 allowed by the city charter "from sources other than natural persons eligible to vote in a postal ZIP code completely or partially within the Austin city limits." The campaign finance report filed on June 30 reportedly shows the Watson campaign exceeding the legal limit by ,105. With total contributions of more than 0,000, the mayor's campaign has come under scrutiny for its fundraising practices.The Watson campaign's manager, Joe Cascino, has stated that they are "confident that we acted within code and that Ms. Greenberg is wrong." He further added that the campaign will be responding in an ethics hearing, though he declined to provide additional details. It's worth noting that a significant portion of Watson's contributions came from outside the city of Austin, raising questions about the campaign's adherence to the charter's restrictions.

Doug Greco's Campaign Also Exceeds Limits

Greenberg's complaint also targets the campaign of Doug Greco, one of Watson's challengers. According to the complaint, Greco's campaign finance report showed that a notable number of his contributions came from individuals outside the city of Austin, including from Florida, Los Angeles, and Pennsylvania. Greenberg's calculations indicate that Greco's total from outside the city exceeded the limit by ,246.Interestingly, Greco's campaign also received questionable contributions from two entities, the Austin Eagle and Rain on 4th, which are bars and not individual donors. Greco, however, defended his fundraising efforts, stating, "I'm proud to be the top fundraiser among the challengers, and as an Austin former teacher and community organizer I raised money from friends, colleagues, family and classmates, and reported every penny of it."

The Legal Implications and Challenges

The complaints filed by Greenberg have raised concerns about the legality of the candidates' fundraising practices. Attorney Bill Aleshire pointed out that Greenberg's analysis only considered contributions from people whose ZIP codes were entirely outside Austin city limits, while some ZIP codes include both eligible and ineligible voters.Greco's campaign has also raised the issue of the constitutionality of the city's campaign finance rules, arguing that they "favor well-funded incumbents." The legal team for Greco's campaign is currently looking into the matter, suggesting that the complaints may face legal challenges.

The Ethics Review Commission's Role

Greenberg's complaints have been submitted to Michael Lovins, the chair of the Ethics Review Commission, for review. However, it's unclear when the commission will hold a hearing on the matter, as a previous complaint filed against District 7 candidate Mike Siegel has not yet been heard.Greenberg expressed her hope that the candidates "would fix this before they come to the commission," indicating a desire for a resolution without the need for formal proceedings. She also noted that if a person is charged with violating the law, which is a class C misdemeanor, they may face a fine but not jail time, as the commission does not have the authority to levy fines but can issue a letter of disapproval.The outcome of these ethics complaints and the subsequent actions taken by the candidates and the Ethics Review Commission will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the mayoral race and the public's trust in the electoral process.