El Paso Democratic Party & Fierro's Lawsuit

The El Paso County Democratic Party had to pay $12,800 to defend the Party from a lawsuit from Art Fierro where his legal team incorrectly argued that the Party Chair improperly allowed Claudia Ordaz Perez to run against Fierro for the District 79 seat. 

The Secretary of State's office determines how much they will approve in funding to cover the expenses of the lawsuit. 

I made a motion in the Precinct Chair meeting on Tuesday night to ask Fierro for the money since he ran as a Democrat. Immediately there were a few folks in the Party that were clearly Fierro apologists and immediately questioned why we would ask for Fierro to make the Party whole after the lawsuit. Frankly, I couldn't believe that anyone wouldn't want us to get our money back. 

Someone else argued that there was a similar lawsuit a few years ago and no one asked the candidate to pay for the Party's legal expenses. They were talking about when Vince Perez sued the Party for improperly allowing someone who didn't meat the statutory residency requirements. The difference is in that case, the Party was found to be wrong on their interpretation of eligibility. In the Fierro case, the 8th Court of Appeals found in favor of the Party and against the candidate. 

The complete opposite situation. 

After hearing a couple of folks I could see that there was a group of people that don't really care that the Party is stuck with the bill, which is annoying because thats a lot of money. Some of us work hard at fundraising for the Party and it sucks to watch our funds potentially end up with a lawyer because Art Fierro sued the Party. 

The more I heard them cover for Fierro, the more annoyed I got. To the point where I got scolded by the Chair because I said, "this is such bullshit". 

Because it is bullshit - and I stand by it. 

But she was right about decorum and I should've put myself on mute when I said that. So while people were talking I started playing this movie out to the end. Say we sent him a letter asking him to pay the money so that the Party doesn't have to - he'd probably just ignore it. But lets say for the sake of argument that he did decide to pay the money. Twelve large isn't coming from his personal account. He'd pay that from his campaign account. 

Whatever is left in his account - if anything - is probably made up of those large last-minute contributions he had come in. And where were they from?

Republicans. 

When I realized that - I quickly decided to withdraw my motion. A bunch of folks texted me upset with me for doing so, because we should've at least had a vote on it. We should've made the people that were good with the Party footing the bill go on the record about it. 

I get that. I really do. 

But anyone else could've turned around and made their own motion after I withdrew mine.

However, thats missing the point. 

The real point is Fierro knows we have this bill. He could've decided to make the Party whole at any time he wanted to. Why should we HAVE to ask for that money back?

He knows what the right thing to do is.