The Texas Ethics Commission fined Mark Jones, Hays County Commissioner Pct. 2 and Republican candidate for County Judge, $500 for campaign finance violations.
TEC found that Jones failed to file his January 2021 semiannual in a timely manner and failed to file campaign treasurer appointment. Jones said he’s been in office for more than a decade and these are his first campaign finance violations.
“We thought we had filed [the reports],” Jones told the Daily Record. “It just slipped through the cracks.”
The complaint filed against Jones alleges that he did not file a January 2021 semiannual campaign finance report, which was due on Jan. 15, 2021. Additionally, Jones allegedly accepted campaign contributions and/or made or authorized campaign expenditures during a time when a campaign treasurer appointment was not in effect.
According to TEC documents, Jones filed a campaign treasurer appointment with Hays County on Aug. 27, 2009 and he’s never filed a final report. The Hays County Commissioner filed the January 2021 semiannual report late on July 25, 2022, disclosing $0 in total political contributions and $0 in total expenditures.
“In response to the complaint, the respondent swore that at the time the report was due, he was working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and forgot to file,” a TEC document states.
Documentation stated that there was credible evidence that Jones filed the January 2021 semiannual report late, violating Section 254.063 of the Texas Election Code.
The failure to file campaign treasurer appointment stemmed for Jones’ January 2022 semiannual report filed on Jan. 14, 2022, where a new campaign treasure was listed. TEC stated that Jones had not filed an amended campaign treasurer appointment form with Hays County to officially appoint a new treasurer.
TEC document stated that Jones acknowledged the error and promptly filed an amended campaign treasurer appointment form on July 25, 2022.
“The respondent stated that the change in campaign treasures occurred on or around January 1, 2022,” the TEC sworn complaint stated. “Therefore, the evidence indicates that the respondent did not have a campaign treasurer appointment on file from January 1, 2022 through July 25, 2022.”
Between Jan. 1-June 30, 2022, Jones accepted political contributions totaling $34,712.75 and political expenditures totaling $17.588.53, TEC documents stated. Additionally, TEC found that there is credible evidence of violations of Section 253.031(a) of the Election Code.
The Texas Ethics Commission imposed a $500 civil penalty for the campaign finance violation. Jones consented to the proposed resolution on Sept. 9, 2022. TEC executed the resolution on Oct. 5.
Jones is running for county judge against incumbent Ruben Becerra. Early voting for the Nov. 8 election begins Monday, Oct. 24.
