El Paso school Superintendent caught in FBI sting

[shintao]

Yes, a hot love affair on the school desk, and presto!!

AUSTIN -- Taxpayers footed the bill for an expensive but sparse set of posters and handouts in the El Paso Independent School District that are now the focus of an FBI investigation.

The district used state grant funds to pay Infinity Resources ... & Associates $360,000 for staff development and math-related posters and handouts under a 5-year-old contract that has left Superintendent Lorenzo García facing federal charges of fraud and embezzlement.

The cost of the materials, which totaled $319,500, in the El Paso district, is a stark contrast to the $11,191 the Houston Independent School District paid the company for several similar items.

García allegedly steered a $450,000 no-bid contract to Tracy Rose, a woman with whom he had a personal relationship, according to the FBI. The FBI also said the superintendent had a personal financial interest in the company. He has pleaded not guilty and is out on bond while he awaits trial.

EPISD investigation: Simple posters in costly contract - El Paso Times

 

[Truthseeker420]

Wow! how dumb can he be? I guess that's why they call it a troublemaker.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I had a little trouble making sense of the article (I'm not bustin' on you OP) So they guy steered a no big contract to his "girlfriend"? The cards were ripped off from another company? The price was outrageous? The school district has poor fiscal accountability? Is that the gist of it?

I'm still trying to figger out why the FBI was involved, was it the amount in the checks? ($180,000)

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I had a little trouble making sense of the article (I'm not bustin' on you OP) So they guy steered a no big contract to his "girlfriend"? The cards were ripped off from another company? The price was outrageous? The school district has poor fiscal accountability? Is that the gist of it?

I'm still trying to figger out why the FBI was involved, was it the amount in the checks? ($180,000)

The FBI has been investigating corruption in El Paso county for years. This was probably an offshoot of that investigation, and all they could actually scrape up after raiding the government offices.

FWIW, El Paso is solidly Democratic, just so that no one pops in and starts talking about Republicans because El Paso is in Texas.

 

[freedombecki]

I had a little trouble making sense of the article (I'm not bustin' on you OP) So they guy steered a no big contract to his "girlfriend"? The cards were ripped off from another company? The price was outrageous? The school district has poor fiscal accountability? Is that the gist of it?

I'm still trying to figger out why the FBI was involved, was it the amount in the checks? ($180,000)

It didn't make sense to me either, and a comparison was made with another district for a year for merchandise against a 5-year contract that included fees for both merchandise and an expert's training costs.

My take was not enough information was known or released about the transaction.