State representative John Garza Friday announced he is reimbursing his campaign approximately $6,000 for questionable expenditures. The move comes just after my story revealing
Garza used campaign funds to pay his wife $4000 for campaign work and a Christmas Eve dinner with his family and "supporters". The Republican lawmaker is also refunding money used to buy a tuxedo and other clothing at Mens Warehouse and boots from Cavenders.
Below is the press release sent by the Garza campaign:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: October 25, 2012
Garza reimburses campaign, demands opponent focus on real issues.
SAN ANTONIO-State Representative John V. Garza today personally reimbursed his campaign fund to cover expenses and demanded his opponent, Philip Cortez, stop his negative personal attacks and focus on important issues, including job creation and reforming education to spend more dollars in public school classrooms and less on bureaucracy.
“My integrity has always been paramount,” Garza said, “and to have Philip Cortez call that into question, no matter how outrageously, has had an impact on me and my reputation. I first ran for State Representative to restore accountability to a district where it was sorely lacking.
“To put any questions to rest and to force my opponent to focus on real issues affecting working families, I have reimbursed my campaign for any expenses that have been questioned.” Garza continued. “I have always been open and accountable to the families who live and work in District 117 and I will not have my integrity brought into question.
“I have a strong record and a clear vision that I’m running on,” said Garza. “Now is the time for Philip Cortez to defend his stances on higher taxes and wasting more money on education bureaucracy at the expense of students in the classroom.”
“These sleazy campaign tactics are typical of Philip Cortez,” Garza spokesman Kelton Morgan said. “In an effort to hide his well-documented history of lying to voters, he has attacked Representative Garza’s unimpeachable integrity. We’re calling his bluff. It’s time for Philip Cortez to turn off the slime spigot and tell voters what, if anything, he actually stands for.”
Garza, a Republican, is a first-term State Representative for District 117, which covers south and west Bexar County. He has been a leader in the fight for jobs and economic opportunity, improving education and promoting strong families and government accountability.
