An Ethics Professor Filed A Complaint Before The FEC Alleging Tano Tijerina Violated Federal Election Law To Protect His Position As Webb County Judge
An FEC Complaint Against Tijerina Outlined Statements From And Actions By Tijerina That Indicated He Was Using His Exploratory Committee As A Way To Circumvent Resigning As Webb County Judge
Headline: “Complaint Filed Accusing Judge Tijerina Of Violating Federal Campaign Law” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
An FEC Complaint Was Filed Against Tano Tijerina For Allegedly Violating Federal Campaign Law, Accusing Him Of Trying To Sidestep Texas’s Resign-To-Run Law By Falsely Operating An “Exploratory Committee.” “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.” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
San Antonio Resident Cecilia Martinez, PhD, A Former Ethics Professor, Filed The Complaint And Added “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 complaint was filed Friday, Nov. 21 by San Antonio's Cecilia Martinez, Ph.D. ‘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.’” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
The Complaint Alleged Tijerina Was Using An Exploratory Committee To Avoid Facing “The State-Law Consequences Of Declaring His Candidacy.” “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. Tijerina was re-elected in 2022 and is not set to leave office until after the last day of 2026. With Dec. 8 being the final day for candidates to file a declaration of intent with the FEC, he could theoretically wait until early December to declare his candidacy and retain his position through the end of his term. However, 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.’” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
Tijerina Told A Houston Radio Station He Had An Exploratory Committee Because Of The Resign-To-Run Law In Texas, And Said He Could Announce His Candidacy On December 1 “Without The Exploratory.” “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.’” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
On October 30, Tijerina Reposted An Instagram Story Alluding To A Potential Future As A Member Of Congress. “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.’” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
Tijerina’s Exploratory Committee Accepted Contributions Totaling Up To $7,000 From Individuals Since July 2025, And Worked With Texas-Based Political Strategy Firm Lilly And Company. “While the totals are not publicly known, the complaint alleges it is probable Tijerina is well beyond those thresholds. The Tano Tijerina Exploratory Committee has been soliciting contributions to ‘Team Tano’ since at least July 1 through WinRed. It also is working with Texas-based political strategy firm Lilly and Company, which the complaint says has a track record of raising millions of dollars for clients. On the WinRed donation website, the available options to select for donations are $500, $1,000, $2,500, $3,500, $7,000 and other.” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
The Complaint Cited An October 29 Fundraiser For Tijerina That Could Have Plausibly Cost More Than $5,000 Or Raised More Than $5,0000. “The complaint also cites an Oct. 29 fundraising event held to honor Team Tano at Otilia’s, located at 3311 E. Del Mar Blvd. Ste. 101, saying the event ‘could plausibly have cost more than $5,000 to host, and seems likely to have generated more than $5,000 in contributions.’ 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.” [Laredo Morning Times, 11/23/25]
Tijerina Later Announced His Candidacy After The Threshold When He Would No Longer Be Required To Resign
Tijerina Announced His Candidacy Following An FEC Complaint Alleging He Violated Federal Campaign Law By Falsely Operating Under An Exploratory Committee To Avoid Triggering Texas’ Resign-To-Run Law. “Last month, a federal complaint was filed with the Federal Election Commission, alleging Tijerina had violated federal campaign law. It stated the judge was skirting Texas’ resign-to-run law — requiring local officeholders to step down if they become a candidate for another office with more than a year and 30 days left in their term — by falsely operating under an ‘exploratory committee’ while running for Congress.” [Laredo Morning Times, 12/3/25]
Tijerina Made Expressions To Media Confirming He Established An Exploratory Committee To Circumvent An Automatic Resignation. “Among the evidence cited quoted Tijerina in 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.’ In a similar situation, El Paso Councilmember Cassandra Hernandez was forced to resign in 2019 after a post that read ‘Cassandra Hernandez for Mayor of El Paso, Texas’ was posted for about 15 minutes on a dormant Facebook page by a campaign volunteer.” [Laredo Morning Times, 12/3/25]
Tijerina Had An Active WinRed Donation Page Since July 2025, And Held A Fundraiser In Late October That Could Plausibly Have Raised Or Costed More Than $5,000. “The complaint also asked the FEC to look into financial records, as a potential candidate must file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of raising $5,000 in contributions or making $5,000 in expenditures. It stated that The Tano Tijerina Exploratory Committee had been soliciting contributions through WinRed through at least July, which featured donation options including $500, $1,000, $2,500, $3,500, $7,000 and other. It also questioned if an Oct. 29 fundraising effort at Otilia’s itself ‘could plausibly have cost more than $5,000 to host, and seems likely to have generated more than $5,000 in contributions.’” [Laredo Morning Times, 12/3/25]