FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 19, 2012 Vince Perez for County Commissioner Campaign Contact: Vince Perez,

915-373-1013

COUNTY COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE CHENTE QUINTANILLA CAUGHT USING CAMPAIGN FUNDS TO TREAT FAMILY TO CATTLEMANS STEAKHOUSE
Quintanilla calls $425 dinner volunteers food/beverages on campaign finance report while daughters Facebook says celebrating mamas birthday (Photo attached) Expense appears to be clear violation of Texas campaign finance laws prohibiting the use campaign funds for personal use EL PASO - Following his latest campaign finance report filing this week, State Representative and Candidate for County Commissioner Precinct 3 Chente Quintanilla was caught using campaign funds to treat his wife and family to a $425 dinner at Cattlemans Steakhouse to celebrate her birthday. Although his campaign finance report describes the expenditure as volunteers food/beverages, a Facebook post by his daughter reveals that Quintanilla was using campaign donations for personal use to treat his wife, daughters, and grandchildren. Vince Perez, Candidate for County Commissioner, Precinct 3, released the following statement: Representative Quintanilla was caught red-handed using campaign funds for personal use. He deceivingly labeled this expense as a campaign event for volunteers, when in reality, it was a birthday celebration for his wife and family. If he cant use his own campaign funds properly and was untruthful in his campaign report, how can he be trusted to manage taxpayer dollars at the County? These types of actions are the reason why many El Pasoans have lost faith in government and underscore the need for new leadership. The expense in question in Quintanillas report appears to be a clear violation of state laws that explicitly prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal use. Texas Election Code Chapter 253 Section 35 RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL USE OF CONTRIBUTIONS, (a)

explicitly states A person who accepts a political contribution as a candidate or officeholder may not convert the contribution to personal use." The law describes personal use as a use that primarily furthers individual or family purposes not connected with the performance of duties or activities as a candidate for or holder of public office. In his July 15 campaign finance report, Representative Quintanilla reported a June 25 expenditure of $423.98 spent at Cattlemans Steakhouse. The Quintanilla campaign described the dinner as volunteers food/beverages. However, on June 24, one of Representative Quintanillas daughters posted a picture of the family dinner showing the County Commissioner candidate, with his wife and their other daughter with the message, Celebrating my mamas birthday. Three of the Quintanillas grandchildren are also tagged in the photo. No one outside of the Quintanilla family appears to have attended the birthday dinner. Chente Quintanillas wife, Gracie Quintanilla, serves as the campaign Treasurer. Individuals who violate the law may be held liable for improper campaign expenditures prohibited in Chapter 253 of the Texas Election Code: Sec. 253.004. UNLAWFULLY MAKING EXPENDITURE (a) A person may not knowingly make or authorize a political expenditure in violation of this chapter. (c) A person who violates this section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. Sec. 253.035. RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL USE OF CONTRIBUTIONS (a) A person who accepts a political contribution as a candidate or officeholder may not convert the contribution to personal use. (f) A person who converts a political contribution to the person's personal use in violation of this section is civilly liable to the state for an amount equal to the amount of the converted contribution plus reasonable court costs. This latest incident raising questions about Rep. Quintanillas ethics comes on the heels of other questionable actions in recent months. In December, Quintanilla admitted to using taxpayer funds from his State

Representative budget to mail 1,500 Texas Capitol Calendars to likely voters outside his House District, but inside the County Commissioner Precinct he is seeking. (Source KVIA http://www.kvia.com/news/State-Rep-Accused-Of-Using-StateHouse-Calendar-To-Campaign/-/391068/15245056/-/aqa973//index.html ) In January, Quintanilla was captured on video raffling away $20 bills to prospective voters at a campaign event. On May 19, during a debate on KVIA, when Vince Perez asked Quintanilla if he believed raffling away cash to prospective voters was an ethical practice in light of recent ethics and corruption scandals in El Paso, Quintanilla responded yes. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf705HA1dsA&fea ture=relmfu ) Perez has criticized Quintanilla for seeking to collect a third taxpayerfunded pension in his bid for County Commissioner. After serving in the state legislature for ten years, Quintanilla is now eligible to collect a second annual pension, this time for $29,000. Quintanilla already collects a $60,000 pension from the Socorro Independent School District and stands to collect $150,000 annually if elected to Commissioners Court. This is not the first time Representative Quintanillas actions have raised questions about his ethics, Perez said. Following the arrest of Commissioner Willie Gandara, our community is in desperate need of strong and ethical representation. I hope voters will reject Quintanillas unethical pattern of behavior and put an end to the cycle of failed leadership in Precinct 3, where politicians have selfishly used public office for their own personal gain, not the public good. # # #