Socorro Mayor Elia Garcia faces city lawsuit tied to corruption allegations

SOCORRO, Texas -- Socorro Mayor Elia Garcia failed to meet a Friday 5 p.m. deadline to cooperate with an internal investigation tied to corruption allegations and now faces the prospect of being sued by the city.

The investigation, which was launched by Socorro City Council in July, is looking into allegations that Garcia may have used her office for personal and political gain.

The decision to apply pressure on the Garcia to cooperate came after a lengthy City Council meeting, including a closed door executive session, on Thursday night. Council also passed a measure restricting the mayor from engaging with city staff.

The measure adopted says that Garcia is to have no communication with city employees nor direct them in anyway. If she violates that council mandate, she could face a $1,000 fine and possible removal from office.

A majority of council members believe that Garcia used city property for her own political gain, in particular when she announced her bid for El Paso County Commissioner back in October from the City Hall parking lot. She has to reimburse the city of Socorro $400 for her actions in that case.