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County Attorney Press Releases

New State Law Prohibits Making Or Accepting Political Contributions Inside County Courthouse

New law will take effect on September 1, 2009

            El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodríguez has informed County elected officials and County employees about a new state law that makes it a Class A misdemeanor criminal offense to make or accept political contributions while in the courthouse. The prohibition includes political contributions to candidates or officeholders, political committees, or persons acting on behalf of candidates, officeholders or political committees.

            In Texas punishment for a Class A misdemeanors ranges from payment of fines of up to $4,000, to confinement of up to 1 year in jail, or both payment of a fine and confinement.

The prohibition, which will take effect on September 1, 2009, also applies to all county annexes, offices of the Justice of the Peace, the Juvenile Probation Department, the MDR Building, and all Municipal Courtrooms.

The new law explicitly excludes from the prohibition political contributions received via the United States Postal Service or common or contract carrier.

County Attorney José R. Rodríguez said today that, although all County officials and employees have been informed about this new legislation, it is also very important for residents of El Paso in general to take notice of this prohibition.

"In the past, it has been a common practice for individuals interested in the political process to bring campaign contributions to Judges or County Officials in person or drop them at their offices in the Courthouse. Such activity is now illegal and can bring legal consequences to those who are not in compliance", Rodríguez said.

            Rodríguez explained that awareness about the new prohibition is especially urgent because a great number of District Judges and County Officials will be running for re-election next year, and during the next couple of months many residents are expected to make political contributions in those races.

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Campaign Contributions Press Release.pdf

Political Contributions Memo.pdf

Published Aug 10 2009, 11:00 AM by edominguez
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About edominguez

Elhiu Dominguez was born in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, México. He moved to the Ciudad Juárez - El Paso area in 1988 to study Mass Communications at the Chihuahua State University (UACH). He later obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1994. Elhiu began his professional career in 1989 as a reporter for Norte de Juarez newspaper. In 1994 he was employed at Canal 26, the local Univision affiliate in El Paso, as photojournalist, producer, and later as a reporter. In 1998, after a brief period as Weekend Assignments Editor at KDBC Channel 4, the local CBS affiliate, Elhiu returned to work at Univision 26 as a senior reporter. He was later assigned in 1999 as the Texas-New Mexico correspondent for the Univision Network’s news magazine “Primer Impacto”, a position that he held until his resignation in 2005 to become Assignments Editor at KFOX Channel 14, the local FOX network affiliate. Elhiu left KFOX in 2006 to become the Public Affairs Officer for the El Paso County Attorney’s Office. During his more than 15 years of experience as journalist, Elhiu has received numerous awards, among them “La Columna de Oro” for a special series of stories regarding the murders of women in Juárez, and several first and second place awards by the New Mexico and Texas Associated Press in the categories of investigative reporting, breaking news, and feature stories.