Pasadena City Leaders Call for Forensic Audit Of Departments

PASADENA, TX -- The admission in a federal court hearing last month by the city’s communications director that he violated state ethics rules in municipal elections has sparked a call for an audit of city finances.

The request came at the Dec. 20 council meeting where Pasadena City Councilman Sammy Casados made a written request to City Comptroller Wayne Long for a forensic audit of city finances, according to a Houston Chronicle report.

Casados said he made the request to the city auditor’s office, based on the testimony of embattled communication’s director Richard Scott on Nov. 29.

“...I want to clarify that this is not a witch hunt,” Casados said. “This is bigger than Richard Scott. As the communications director, he is in charge of five other departments and I now have to ask the question: How far does this go? Are five city departments being used illegally for political campaigns? That's what we don't know."

In a federal court hearing in November, Scott admitted to using city workers and resources to do campaign work during business hours and sent campaign-related emails from his city account during municipal elections in 2013.

Casados ask Long for a detailed report on the amount of money sent by the city on the MALDEF lawsuit after hearing estimates that legal fees were totaling more than $1 million.

Residents who were there, agreed with Casados that an investigation was needed to ensure the integrity of the office and other departments.

Larry Peacock, who ran an unsuccessful council campaign in 2015, said residents have aevery reason to want answers.
"It's hard to run a campaign, and we all want to play on the same level field. But, maybe we weren't. This does not need to keep happening in Pasadena. This is very, very bad and it needs to stop," he said.

U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal is expected to make a ruling by Jan. 1 on whether or not the city violated the federal Voting Rights Act in 2013 when a city charter change allowed redistricting and reconfiguration of its council system.

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