AUSTIN, Texas — Allegations in the race for Austin mayor are under investigation with just two months until Election Day.
Documents reveal that Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and challenger Doug Greco have been accused of violating the same campaign finance law.
The complaint, filed in July by former Ethics Review Commission member Betsy Greenberg, states that Watson and Greco exceeded the $46,000 limit on campaign donations outside of Austin’s city limits. Watson is also accused of violating a similar rule during the 2022 runoff election.
According to the complaint, Greco exceeded the limit by more than $6,200 following dozens of donations that came from outside of Austin. Meanwhile, Watson is accused of exceeding the same limit by more than $22,100.
In the same complaint, Watson is accused of exceeding a similar $30,000 limit during the runoff election against Celia Israel. Watson allegedly received about $25,000 more than the limit, with $14,750 of it coming from PO boxes within city limits that aren’t on the city clerk’s list. Watson defeated Israel by 30 votes in Travis County, and less than 1,000 votes overall.
What’s next for Watson and Greco?
The Ethics Review Commission will hold a preliminary hearing on Sept. 25 after it was determined the allegations fall under the commission’s jurisdiction.
In the hearing, the commission will be represented by an outside counsel since the allegations involved a sitting council member. While Greco isn’t a council member, Assistant City Attorney Caroline Webster said both complaints allege the same thing, so they’ll be reviewed together.
Regarding counsel, Webster says the city is looking for someone outside of Austin who hasn’t contributed to any mayoral candidates.
If a campaign finance violation is determined, the commission can impose an array of sanctions depending on how serious the violation is or depending on the level of intent. Sanctions can range from a letter of notification to a recommendation of suspension, removal, or recall from office.