Cassandra Hernandez - A Tale of Two Stories

This is called a tale of two stories for a reason. One, she apparently told a news station her fiancé wasn't a lobbyist and then it later came out that we was a lobbyist.

But its also given this title for another reason - two stations covering the same story told it completely different ways.

Here is the story the way it was covered by KFOX.

Now here is the story the way it was covered by KVIA.

Lets give you some context. A while back I posted about the issue of documents that were leaked to the media about the City Manager's contract. That contract contained all the confidential information regarding the city managers pay and other free stuff.

Those facts have been stipulated. They were not made public and someone leaked them to the media. If you know of one leak of confidential documents - then you know that the possibility exists that other documents were leaked or leaked to other persons.

Now, if you've always hated the city manager or hate the city manager form of government, it doesn't matter what is in his contract, you're going to hate it anyway. Also, you're going to love the KFOX version of the story. If you like the city manager or the city manager form of government, not so much.

Personally I like the city manager form of government, its what We The People chose, but I'm not particularly fond of the current city manager, I don't particularly dislike him either, but I really hate all the perks that administrators for levels of government get on top of a competitive salary. I think its the administrator taking advantage of the community that employs them.

Anywho, the details were leaked and it contained information that helped the police officers push for more stuff. They publicly acknowledged as such.

Now here's the kicker to all of this. What station broke the story on the details of the city manager's contract?

KFOX.

So their version of the story doesn't really cover the leaking of the documents, but focuses more on the reaction of council members to the leaking of the documents. There is absolutely NO MENTION of City Rep Cassandra Hernandez' fiancé Jeremy Jordan working for the police officer's association.

They mention the police officer's association.

They just make no mention of the fact that her fiancé is a lobbyist for the police officer's association and that there was an alleged benefit to her fiancé when the information was leaked.

That is a major point to all of this - and frankly had it been other city representatives that did so there would be a major uproar. Why the reaction of city representatives is a news stories but the possible leaking of the documents to other persons, not in the media, isn't is beyond me.

This is potentially a very big issue and should be thoroughly fleshed out and policies should be put in place that prevents the allegation of selective release of information to benefit someone they are in a relationship with.

But frankly, the fact that it would need to rise to the level of a policy discussion represents, in my opinion, an ethical failure on the part of City Representative Cassandra Hernandez, if the allegations against her made by Rep Rivera are true.

Let me stop and make note of the fact that there is nothing wrong with the media obtaining and publishing leaked documents. I get them all the time and I'm not a legitimate journalist, I'm just a blogger. Media hasn't done a thing wrong here, in fact they are acting in the highest traditions of the media in doing so.

The problem is IF those documents were leaked to give someone else a benefit.

"Don't Hate on Our Love"

Full disclosure here, Hernandez has taken issue with me discussing the alleged conflict in this situation. She's taken it as a personal criticism of her life choices about who she dates. I don't know what makes he feel so self-important that I give a damn about who she dates, but I don't.

She texted me late one evening after I first raised this issue in which I was critical of this situation with the contract and her partner's work with the police union. She sent me a pretty long rambling message that kind of went all over the place but at one point she even told me "don't hate on our love".

I'm not kidding, she really said that. I sent her an even longer response basically letting her know that I wouldn't be influenced about what issues I raise, that she should get a thicker skin if she's going to be a policy maker, and explaining to her that I couldn't care less about her personal life.

Seriously, it takes a pretty big ego to think that a policy issue is really about her personal life. How self-important does someone have to be to think that people care that much about their private life.

No one is hating on your love Rep Hernandez. No one cares.

Its a reasonable question about the situation you chose to allegedly put yourself in. Frankly Hernandez's text messaging me asking me to "don't hate on our love" is an insultingly transparent attempt to pretend that my critiques are about her personal life because she wants to distract from the policy implications of her alleged choices.

To be fair to Rep Hernandez, she did wish me a Merry Christmas in the message, so that was nice.

Now I'm no lawyer, but as I read this statute, the policy implication of her alleged choice could be significant. Again, nothing has been proven and its only an allegation, but if it pans out it appears to be pretty significant.

According to Texas Penal Code 39.06 which voters Misuse of Official Information if Rivera's allegations are accurate, then Jordan could be facing some tough questions.

Do I believe this is something the District Attorney would ever decide to take on as a case? Well, nothing in his past indicates that he would, but who knows. Now that he's heading toward retirement he'll be more likely to take on a case like this.

Or not.