El Paso City Council seeks to strip Sam Morgan of Alternate Mayor Pro-Tem role after abuse arrest

EL PASO, Texas -- An El Paso City Council member said Monday that he will be seeking to strip City Rep. Sam Morgan of his Alternate Mayor Pro-Tempore post in the wake of his recent arrest for domestic violence.

Fellow City Rep. Henry Rivera told ABC-7 that he will introduce an item to do so at the next city council meeting.

"We're calling for the replacement of Representative Morgan as alternate Mayor Pro-Tem," said Rivera.

Rivera's action comes after two Texas state lawmakers and El Paso's member of Congress called on City Council to take action by insisting on Morgan's resignation.

"Over 2 weeks have passed since the vivid reports of Rep. Morgan's alleged physical abuse of his wife. Our request to council is that members publicly ask for Rep. Morgan's resignation," Congresswoman Veronica Escobar along with state representatives Lina Ortega and Mary Gonzalez tweeted over the weekend.

Mayor Dee Margo said last week that council can do little to remove a city representative unless there is a conviction.

Morgan was arrested Oct. 4 after his wife called police claiming he hit her across the face.

"It depends who you get along with, if you're really in the mayor's clique, you get treated differently,"  said City Rep. Alesxandra Annello, who spoke to ABC-7 following Margo's remarks.

City Rep. Cassandra Hernandez has told fellow council members that everyone deserves due process, noting that due process was denied to her when she was accused of a Facebook post suggesting a mayoral bid that eventually led to council to invoke the 'resign to run' rule under the state Constitution. 

At that time, Morgan told ABC-7 there was no doubt in his mind that Hernandez resigned from her office following that post. Hernandez denied posting on Facebook her intent to run for mayor and is now running for her own seat in a special election.

State Rep. Mary Gonzalez says charges of domestic abuse should be taken more seriously against a city representative, especially following a proclamation signed recently by the mayor condemning domestic abuse as part of domestic abuse awareness month.