Council Member Investigated For Plane Ticket Flap
EL PASO, TX. – City Rep. Rachel Quintana lashed out on Tuesdayat her fellow council members for not defending her in an incident involving an airfare dispute.
El Paso police have been investigating Quintana after she allegedly purchased a Southwest Airlines ticket at a discountavailable forFedEx employees. However, police saidshe stopped working for FedEx in September.
The carrier saidQuintanadidn’t produce a FedEx IDat first and they didn’t issueher aticket. Officials said she then left the airport and returned hours later with a letter from a local FedEx manager. The airline then issuedheradiscounted ticket. However, once her flight landed, Southwest officialspulled her aside andasked her to pay for the ticket in full.
When city officials heard about the incidentthey contacted police.
Tuesday, at the start of the regular weekly City Council meeting, Quintana saidrecent news reports on the incident have been inaccurate and she is being singled out because of her anti-tax increase position for the city. Quintana then chose to refer all further questions to her attorney, Theresa Caballero.
FedEx spokesman Jim McClusky confirmed from his Memphis office thatQuintana left the company on Sept. 1. He also said hisstaffis cooperating with the local police investigation.
– – – – –
Written for broadcast by Andy Guerra and Joe Villasana
Edited for the web by Miguel Martinez
