Recall Group’s Treasurer Testifies About Spending, Meetings

Mayor John Cook’s fight to stop a recall election against him continues.

On Wednesday, Ronald Webster, the treasurer for the group El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values, took the stand and testified that money wasn’t spent in line with state campaign finance law.

The mayor’s attorney, Mark Walker, has argued that the group was set up as a political action committee to finance a ballot initiative to take away benefits for the gay and unmarried partners of city employees last November. But, Walker argued, El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values was not set up as a political action committee to finance the recall efforts.

During most of the hearing, Webster was instructed by his attorney, Theresa Caballero, to plead the Fifth Amendment.

Walker asked Webster where the group held its meetings to discuss recall efforts.

“I’d like to invoke my constitutional right to remain silent,” Webster replied.

“On what grounds?” Walker asked.

“It leads to the invasion of privacy,” Webster answered.

Caballero then told Webster to, “Say what I just said.”

But the judge told Caballero she couldn’t put words in Webster’s mouth and told him to answer.

Webster said meetings were held at local restaurants.

The mayor said he feels confident at this point.

“We’ve presented a lot of good evidence, especially the website evidence. I think it was very good. The fact that they’ve been standing on the Fifth Amendment because they don’t want to incriminate themselves; that testimony itself is pretty incriminating.”

During the hearing, Webster was asked to elaborate on a conversation he had with Pastor Tom Brown earlier this week.

Webster said Brown had said the hearing was similar to what Jesus Christ went through when he was under tremendous attack by the legal community and Jesus remained silent.

The hearing continues Nov. 14, when Brown is expected to take the stand.