Recall Supporter Removed From City Council Meeting After Shouting At Reps, City Attorneys

A day after a religious group officially filed a petition to recall Mayor John Cook and City Representatives Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega, one of the recall supporters was escorted out of city council chambers for what one city representative called ‘bullying.’

On Tuesday, Manny Hinojosa, who’s worked with the group El Paso for Traditional Family Values to take away the health insurance of gay and unmarried partners of city employees, addressed city representatives during public comment. That’s a portion of the city council meeting in which residents can talk about issues not posted on the city’s agenda.

“Call to the public is a time for members of the public, that’s me – $13,000 a year, so you don’t be reading your emails while I’m talking, thank you very much,” Hinojosa told city representatives who he seemingly believed were on their computers during his time to speak.

Hinojosa brought a dictionary with him to the podium and began reading the definition of “conflict of interest.”

“When a public official takes actions that might benefit his or her office, does that sound familiar – legal counsel?,” said Hinojosa as he pointed to the city’s attorneys.

The city attorneys are tasked with legally interpreting laws for the city, including the religious group’s voter-approved ordinance that the city officials said was so vague, it would have stripped the insurance of 150 unintended people. That’s the main reason Byrd, Ortega and Cook said they voted to overrule the ordinance.

Hinojosa tried to read another definition from the dictionary but was interrupted by Ortega. “This is obviously name-calling and pointing,” Ortega told the Mayor.

“This is rule of law! The public has a right to address the items that are not,” Hinojosa told Ortega. “This is not going to be tolerated. You’re a bully.” retorted Ortega. “This my three minutes, sir,” Hinojosa shouted twice. Ortega then told Hinojosa he was out of order.

“We don’t go by you, we go by rule of law. So you shut up and listen for three minutes. Tyranny! Tyranny! Rule of law, not by your law,” Hinojosa shouted as he was escorted out of council chambers by a police officer.

“If you’re going to talk about an issue, even if we disagree with it, you still have that right, what you don’t have a right to do is personally attack someone via gestures or verbal attack,” said Ortega in an interview.

Petitioners have 60 days to gather more than 7,000 signatures to put the recall for a vote in May.

Hinojosa unsuccessfully ran for city council earlier this year.