City Rep. Salcido has more than $200,000 in debt judgements against her, court records show

UPDATE - Isabel Salcido has responded through her campaign to questions from KVIA about her personal debts and lawsuits.

In an email Wednesday afternoon, Salvador Robledo, campaign manager for Salcido's mayoral campaign sent the following response on her behalf to specific questions sent by KVIA on the number of lawsuits, the amount of the debts, and her response to them earlier in the day.

"COVID-19 hit El Paso hard, just as it did across the world. My primary focus has always been public health, along with addressing the economic impact on our local businesses. With 80% of my business portfolio in hospitality and 20% in real estate, I felt the weight of the crisis just like many others. On June 26, 2020, when Governor Greg Abbott ordered Texas restaurants and bars to close due to COVID-19, many businesses remained shut for 3-4 months before limited reopenings began in October. Without revenue during that time, it became nearly impossible to sustain operations and meet financial obligations.

I reached out to all my business lenders, and while some were understanding and willing to work with me, others pursued more drastic measures, including lawsuits. Like many business owners, I applied for federal relief but did not receive assistance before the portal closed. The only aid I secured was through PPP loans, which allowed me to keep my staff employed, and a $5,000 grant from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that helped me purchase PPE and continue safely serving the community.

The $118,000 amount being claimed is incorrect. I was never properly served the necessary documents, and we have been negotiating the amount in question. Had I received the proper notification, I would have addressed this issue in court to resolve the correct amount.

In terms of my ongoing business matters, including disputes with NASA Bank and this lien, I have retained my attorney, Cynthia Canales, from Gordon, Davis, Johnson & Shane PC. Together, we are working diligently to resolve these issues, ensuring all rightful debts are settled. We are committed to finding solutions and coming through this stronger."

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Current District 5 City Rep. and mayoral candidate Isabel Salcido has more than six figures in legal judgements against her stemming from unpaid debts, court records show.

The documents obtained by ABC-7 detail that since 2021, Salcido has faced at least five lawsuits - four in El Paso county and one in Harris county - over debt claims and other civil action.

The suit in Harris county was filed over payments not being made on a $118,000 business loan made in 2017. Court documents there show that Salcido was party to the 2021 lawsuit brought against 2539 Preston LLC by Hitesh Amin.

In March of 2022, the 157th Judicial District Court ruled that Salcido had not responded to the suit and awarded a default judgment of $172,841.81 against her, including court costs. That amount was subject to an 18 percent interest per year until paid. As of this year, that would amount to $235,064.86.

As of the El Paso City Council meeting Tuesday, Salcido made a required campaign finance notice including loaning her campaign $100,000. A clarification to the city council agenda stated it was a personal loan.

Salcido also has judgments against her in El Paso county. Court records with a district court and Justice of the Peace show at least four lawsuits over defaults of payments on four credit cards or lines of credit accounts. The suits all list Salcido's home address, matching her campaign filings.

The four debts total $48,368.82 including court costs and fees. Court records from the County Court at Law No. 6 show that the suit filed there by NASA Federal Credit Union had its $13,923.03 judgement paid in full.

We reached out to Salcido's office, campaign and treasurer, but did not hear back in time for this broadcast Tuesday.

ABC-7 news partners El Paso Matters report when asked about the campaign loan and the six figure business loan debt, Salcido told them, “Why would I pay an amount that is incorrect?”