An attorney representing Jones called the complaint “frivolous” before the board eventually dismissed it.
SAN ANTONIO — Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has had a rocky first few months in office, but notched a win Monday night when the Ethics Review Board dismissed a complaint filed against her this summer.
The complaint – filed July 16 by Kyle Sinclair – centered around Jones’ efforts to bring the 2028 Democratic National Convention to town. Specifically, it argued that a letter she sent in July asking that San Antonio host the major event and featuring City of San Antonio letterhead constitute an abuse of city resources.
Sinclair also alleged Jones abused her seat by asking to be the host city for the DNC while not doing the same for the Republican National Convention.
“The mayor is not the mayor of one party; she’s the mayor of both parties, of all people,” said Sinclair, addressing the Ethics Review Board on Monday. “And yet, Mayor Jones repeatedly failed to engage both sides of the aisle.”
Sinclair went on to say there should have been “equal opportunity” for both parties, referencing both political conventions.
Frank Garza, an attorney representing Mayor Jones at the hearing, called the complaint politically motivated, noting Sinclair later agreed to drop it if the mayor also reached out to the RNC. However, the RNC had already selected Houston as its host city.
He pointed to the fact that the initial letter was initiated not by Jones, but by Visit San Antonio, the city’s tourism arm, and that she later consulted with City Attorney Andy Segovia on the matter. He also made the argument Sinclair was basing his complaint not around the fact Jones used city letterhead, but rather who it was sent to.
“Not only does it lack merit, it was a frivolous complaint,” Garza argued. “This complaint was filed to harass the mayor.”
Nadeen Abou-Hossa, the outside counsel appointed by the city to review the ethics complaint, also pointed to a letter sent to the board by Segovia last week in which he stated his belief the mayor’s letter “served neither private nor political purposes” and “was consistent with the role of the mayor to bring high-profile events to the city.”
After briefly convening in closed executive session, the board ultimately voted unanimously that there wasn’t enough evidence to support Sinclair’s complaint.
In providing final comments on the matter, Chair Patrick Lang underscored the panel wouldn’t “become a ‘gotcha’ board.”
“That’s not what it’s for,” Lang said. “We’re here to uphold the ethics and standards for the City of San Antonio and that’s important to us.”
Mayor Jones said in a statement after the ruling that she ensured her actions were in line with “legal and ethical standards,” adding she would “continue representing all San Antonians by exploring opportunities that bring business to our city and showcase our culturally rich community.”