By The Opinion
The Republican representative from Texas, Mónica De La Cruz, received financial contributions from an insurance agent sanctioned by state authorities due to his participation in a scheme to divert public funds.
Jamie Rodríguez, who is identified as the donor, made three contributions of $500 dollars to De La Cruz’s campaign between the years 2021 and 2022. Likewise, last month the presence of both was recorded in a photograph during a political event of the legislator.
According to some reports, the origin of the conflict dates back to 2012.when the Eagle Pass-based Maverick County Solid Waste Authority (MCSWA) hired Rodriguez to arrange a $3.8 million bond needed to operate a landfill.
Rodríguez carried out the procedure in collaboration with another agentCarlyle Poindexter. A subsequent investigation carried out by the FBI and the Texas Department of Insurance showed that among the irregularities were that $712,350 was charged to the MCSWA, but withheld nearly $300,000 that should have been delivered to the insurer Lennox. In parallel, the agents received $82,532 dollars in commissions from the public entity.
The Texas Department of Insurance concluded that those involved reported as legal fees what was actually an appropriation of citizen funds. Because of this, Poindexter’s license was revoked in 2020 and Rodriguez’s was suspended for two years.
De La Cruz is competing this year to secure his third term in the House of Representatives, in a district described by analysts as one of the most contested for the Republican Party. His challenger for the Democratic Party is the musician Bobby Pulido.
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