What Cobos’ Indictment Reveals About City Council Campaign Contributions

The federal indictment unsealed Friday by federal prosecutors claims El Paso County Judge Anthony Cobos solicited contributions from alleged co-conspirators for candidates who were running for city council.

After reviewing every campaign finance report listed for the City Council election in 2007, ABC-7 found Cobos’ and an alleged co-conspirator did contribute to two campaigns — but the data bears little else.

Prosecutors say attorney Raymond Telles worked with Cobos to rig a county contract to refinance $40 million in county debt. According to the indictment, Cobos told his alleged co-conspirators on March 12, 2007 that he wanted Telles and businessman Robert Ruiz to make additional campaign contributions to candidates of Cobos’ choosing “in exchange for (his) vote and support.”

Ruiz was a managing director for Bear Stearns, the company that obtained the contract to refinance the debt. Both Telles and Ruiz have pleaded guilty to public corruption. Bear Stearns has not been implicated in the scheme.

ABC-7 found one campaign contribution that fits the federal investigators’ timeline. Raymond Telles contributed $250 to then-Eastside candidate Jim Suerken on April 11, 2007. Aside from that, Cobos contributed $1,500 to Westside candidate Rebecca Vasquez. Their election campaigns were not successful.

The indictment does not implicate or insinuate wrongdoing on the part of the former candidates and does not indicate whether they are the candidates for whom Cobos allegedly solicited campaigns.

It is also unclear whether the candidates were even aware of Cobos’ alleged preference, or whether Telles and Ruiz ever made any contributions as per Cobos’ request.

ABC-7 tried to contact Suerken and Vasquez, but was unable to locate them by deadline.