Rose Gowen Unleashes Verbal Whipping on City Attorney Mark "It's Legal!" Sossi for Bad Legal Advice on Lincoln Park Sale

Commissioner Rose Gowen

Should Tony Martinez decide that Tenaska, the twenty year financial albatross he's bestowed on Brownsville ratepayers, gives him enough financial cushion to ride off into the sunset, it is rumored that Commissioner At-Large Rose Gowen may run for mayor.

Gowen's rumored mayoral run took a hit 11/4/14 when she voted on the sale of Lincoln Park to the University of Texas without disclosing she worked for UT.  Gowen could easily have gone to school on Jessica's Tetreau's abstention when a firm up for contract was recognized as a client of her husband Art Kalifa's car wash.  But Rose wasn't paying attention and now, we've learned that Gowen's indiscretion is the basis of a Temporary Restraining Order being placed on the sale of Lincoln Park to the University of Texas system.  

Attorney Horacio Barrera

But Gowen evidently looked to legal advice from City Attorney Mark "It's Legal!" Sossi, whose role is more of a legal enabler than a city attorney, giving a "green light" to several more than questionable deals initiated by Mayor Tony Martinez.  The purchase of La Casa del Nylon for $2,300,000, triple its value, unethically using Tony Martinez' law partner Horacio Barrera to negotiate the sale, comes to mind.  We're told that the commissioner was not pleased that Sossi gave the legal "go ahead" on voting on Agenda Item #8 and that she told him so in Gowen-like fashion.

Legal Enabler Mark "It's Legal!" Sossi

Actually, smart shoppers might seek legal advice from someone other than Sossi. There is the matter of a legal judgement of $167,363 from his previous employer, the Willette & Guerra Law Firm for pocketing funds meant for the firm.  As a dramatic illustration of Sossi's understanding of conflict of interest, he's since convinced the City of Brownsville to hire Willette & Guerra for legal work surpassing the amount of the original judgment.

Sossi also encountered the ire of  the Texas Workforce for pocketing $20,716.66 intended for unemployment benefits, a $100,000 I.R.S. tax lien and two malpractice suits from Brownsville residents who thought the City Attorney might be a pretty good lawyer to hire.

Rose Gowen knew all this when she took Sossi's legal advice that voting on the Lincoln Park sale while employed by UT was "legal."  She's embarrassed because Sossi made her and the mayor look dumb. Well, appearances don't always deceive.  We understand Mayor Martinez is confident the city will be successful in the November 19 hearing in Judge Arturo Cisneros Nelson's court.  City Attorney Mark Sossi told him not to worry.