Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina is in the hot seat with new allegations that he violated federal campaign law.
New reporting from Laredo Morning Times reveals a complaint was filed against Tijerina last Friday alleging that he is lying about the status of his candidacy. Rather than following the law and stepping down from his judicial position to run for higher office, Tijerina is hiding under the guise of an “exploratory committee” in order to keep his job – and his cushy $126,000 salary.
As the complaint filer aptly notes: “If Judge Tijerina is willing to disregard federal election law requirements before even announcing his candidacy, it raises serious concerns about how he would conduct himself if elected to federal office.”
DCCC Spokesperson Madison Andrus: “The last thing South Texans need in Congress is another shameless politician who refuses to follow the rules. Voters deserve a representative who is committed to public service –not someone who games the system for their own benefit.”
A federal complaint was filed with the Federal Election Commission, alleging Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina violated federal campaign law.
The complaint alleges Tijerina has attempted to avoid the state’s resign-to-run law by falsely operating under an “exploratory committee” while running for Congress.
“As someone who has taught ethics and decision making at Northern Kentucky University and worked as a journalist, I strongly believe transparency is a non-negotiable,” Martinez said.“A candidate who is evading that transparency obligation now undermines public trust and suggests a troubling pattern of behavior that may continue once in office.
“If Judge Tijerina is willing to disregard federal election law requirements before even announcing his candidacy, it raises serious concerns about how he would conduct himself if elected to federal office.”
The resign-to-run law in Texas requires local officeholders to automatically resign their post if they become a candidate for another office with more than one year and 30 days remaining in their current term.
The complaint alleges Tijerina has already decided to run and provides evidence intended to support the claim. The complaint states, “Judge Tijerina’s congressional campaign remains under the guise of an exploratory committee not because he is legitimately testing the waters, but because he does not want to face the state-law consequences of declaring his candidacy.”
The complaint cites an interview with a Houston radio station during which Tijerina said, “the reason why I have an exploratory committee [is] because there’s a resign to run clause in the state of Texas, which I wish there wasn’t one … so December 1st I will be able to publicly come out and without the exploratory.”
It also cited a post on X on July 30, when Tijerina responded to a post featuring an image of Texas’ proposed new congressional map with a series of eyeball emojis and an image of himself coming out of a corral. On Oct. 30, he reposted an Instagram story from Daisy Campos that said, “As hard as it is to let him go as a Boss! It’s exciting to witness the greater things he will do in Congress.”
If the $5,000 threshold was reached by or before the Oct. 29 fundraiser, then the filing deadline would have been Nov. 13.
Based on these factors, the complaint is requesting the FEC investigate whether Tijerina violated the resign-to-run law and determine the exact date his candidacy began. It also requests that, if a violation occurred, the FEC issue a fine up to the maximum amount allowable by law.
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