Expert weighs in on alleged campaign finance violations by DA.

TLDR:

• Did DA Joe Gonzales violate campaign finance laws through relationship with Wren Collective?
• Expert Andrew Cates weighs in on the matter.

Article Summary:

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales is under scrutiny for potential violations of campaign finance laws regarding his relationship with the Wren Collective, a criminal justice reform group. Text messages obtained through an open records request revealed discussions about policy, court cases, public messaging, and campaign-related matters between the DA’s Office and the Austin-based group. Political attorney Andrew Cates assessed the situation, suggesting that any campaign assistance from the Wren Collective should have been disclosed as in-kind contributions on campaign finance reports. Despite conversation guidelines about separating campaign and official communications, it appears that campaign advice was exchanged. Additionally, there is no mention of the Wren Collective in Gonzales’ campaign finance reports, raising further questions about transparency. In light of these findings, it is suggested that the DA’s Office should have sought county approval for working with the Wren Collective for official communications, which has not been formally documented in any contracts. Efforts to reach Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai for comment have been unsuccessful. The investigation into this matter continues.