POSSIBLE ETHICS VIOLATION FOR MENDEZ, MARTINEZ, KICKBACK FOR CABLER

Traveling south on the interstate toward the Los Tomates Bridge, a huge electronic sign on the premises of the law office of Attorney/Judge Elia Cornejo Lopez at 1040 South Frontage Road has advertised both the Trey Mendez and Tony Martinez campaigns for mayor during this election cycle(Martinez, of course, no longer advertises).

Since both Mendez and Martinez are lawyers who, conceivably, could wind up in Judge Elia's 404th State District Court, this sort of business deal raises a clear conflict of interest.

Judge Lopez likely anticipated this issue as, alternating among the electronic ads on the sign, is a notice naming her husband Leonel Lopez as the contact and likely payee for any sign rental.

We're not certain how receiving such additional income would affect Mr. Lopez, who we understand is now receiving Social Security disability for a severe heart condition, but that's not our concern.

What does get our attention is that neither Tony Martinez nor Trey Mendez have declared a payment to either Elia or Leonel Lopez on any of their Campaign Finance Reports.

We approached Ruben Herrera, Campaign Finance Manager for the Mendez campaign, who responded:  "I made a check for the sign and it will be in the next report."

Herrera also added:  "It will be interesting to see what Cesar de Leon has to say about Charlie in his deposition."

What Herrera was referring to was the infamous audio tape made by Carlos Elizondo which reveal then Commissioner Cesar de Leon using a racial slur to refer to African-American women working in the Cameron County District Attorney's Office.

In that same tape, De Leon claims that Charlie Cabler received a $15,000 kickback from Brownsville GMS and rhetorically asked "where's mine?"

Here's a transcript of De Leon's statement on the audio recording:

"I'm going to tell you one thing(inaudible) $10,000 contract and I see it man.  I saw the one with GMS(inaudible) I see and how it is.  GMS didn't donate money to me.  But they give Charlie $15,000.  Do you think one doesn't find out?  Do you think that the people doesn't find out?  Do you think that the people doesn't question it?"