Travis County Incumbent Suspected of Theft as Election Day Approaches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2012
Contact: Heather Fazio
Phone: (512) 825-9142
Email: heather.fazio@tagtexas.org

Travis County Incumbent Suspected of Theft as Election Day Approaches
The “Cocaine Constable” Reverts to his old Criminal Antics?

AUSTIN– In what has quickly become one the most heated contests of the Democratic Primary, the Travis County Constable’s race in Precinct 2 has gotten downright ugly.

After falsely accusing his challenger, Michael Cargill, of theft, Adan Ballesteros and his campaign now appear to be suspected of that very same crime. According to a report (T12001183) filed with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office last night, signs which read ‘Cocaine Constable.com’ with a large red arrow pointing at Ballesteros’ campaign signs were stolen from five different locations throughout Pflugerville.

CocaineConstable.com was created by Texans for Accountable Government (TAG), local political action committee, in an effort to expose Adan Ballesteros as one of the crooked politicians which plague our system and allow corruption to rear its ugly head.

Heather Fazio, Executive Director for TAG, suspects that it was “Ballesteros and/or one of his cohorts” who stole the signs because the website brings to light “his criminal history–including being fired from [the Texas Department of Public Safety] for allowing the trafficking of drugs and taking money from informants, the Texas Public Safety Commission sustaining the firing, and his lawsuit against them being thrown out of court for being ‘baseless and retaliatory.’” TAG’s claims were validated and independently documented recently by PolitiFact.com.

“It is no surprise that someone like Adan Ballesteros would be willing to break the law in order to keep voters from learning about his shady past,” says Fazio. “His history of participating in illegal activity has already demonstrated his moral stature. Now it’s up to us to educate voters so we don’t make the same mistake of re-electing the Cocaine Constable in Precinct 2.”

TAG’s signs have since been replaced and are being watched by volunteers to ensure that voters have the opportunity to learn about an incumbent whose criminal past raises serious concerns about integrity, accountability, and precedent for the kind of individuals elected to public office.

TAG has endorsed Michael Cargill, a veteran, personal safety instructor, and challenger in this race.
###

Texans for Accountable Government is a trans-partisan Political Action Committee focused on local politics to create a Free and Prosperous Texas where government is transparent, decentralized, and accountable.

For more information about the “Cocaine Constable” or theft of TAG’s property, please contact Heather Fazio (heather.fazio@tagtexas.org OR 512-825-9142).

Download the police report here.