Corpus Christi Democrats & Tainted Money (Mauricio Celis fallout)

Corpus Christi – Nueces County Republican Party Chairman Mike Bertuzzi today called on State Reps. Abel Herrero and Juan Garcia to return the large, corruption-tainted donations they have received from indicted Democratic contributor Mauricio Celis.

Celis was indicted for the second time by a Nueces County jury on Friday. The grand jury handed up two indictments charging Celis with money laundering and impersonating a lawyer. In November 2007, a Nueces County grand jury indicted the former law firm operator on felony charges of impersonating a lawyer and a police officer, perjury and theft.

“When is corrupt money too corrupt for Abel Herrero and Juan Garcia?” Bertuzzi asked. “If Celis contributions were too tainted for Solomon Ortiz Jr., why do Representatives Herrero and Garcia continue to hang on to their contributions?”

Ortiz, Jr. apparently decided it isn’t right to keep money donated by Celis. He donated thousands of dollars in contributions from Celis to charity earlier this year.

“The people of Nueces County have had enough of inside deals, and pay-to-play politics,” Bertuzzi said. “Herrero and Garcia ought to return every dime of his tainted treasure.”

Herrero, has given away $1,000 of Celis’ contributions, but refuses to give away the full $50,000 he has received from Celis directly. In addition, Herrero has received $50,000 from the so-called Good Government Political Action Committee, which has been bankrolled by Celis and other wealthy Democratic donors.

Celis gave $17,000 directly to Garcia’s campaign but the Celis sponsored Good Government PAC spent over $450,000 to help Garcia win the District 32 seat. Garcia has previously called Celis, who hosted a national fundraiser for Garcia, one of his largest individual contributors.

Bertuzzi said Garcia and Herrero should return all those contributions or give them to charity because all of the money was tainted.

“This is not the first time we have asked Herrero and Garcia to do the right thing and give back these tainted contributions,” Bertuzzi said. “How many times does Mr. Celis have to be indicted before the these two politicians realize that the hundreds of thousands of dollars they have collected from Mr. Celis and his associates was money they should not have used to line their campaign pocketbooks?”

Source: Email via FR.