FORT WORTH — A series of emails sent by the City of Fort Worth from its official city news subscriber list has sparked concerns about the misuse of public resources for political purposes, potentially violating Texas Election Code Chapter 255.
The emails, were titled “District 8 Newsletter” and included April and May event updates for that District where the current City Councilman is an incumbent candidate running for re-election in May. The first two emails were sent late yesterday afternoon and included a campaign ad to “Re-Elect Chris Nettles Fort Worth City Council, District 8 FOR THE PEOPLE.” No other city or district news outside of District 8 were included in the email blasts.
A Fort Worth resident who lives well outside District 8 who first shared the emails with The Dallas Express said, “I get city emails all the time—updates, stuff for my district—but not usually District 8 details. Then I got three: the first with a ‘Re-Elect Chris Nettles’ ad at 5:18 PM, another at 5:25 PM yesterday with some changes but still pushing him, and finally one today with it gone. That’s what grabbed me.”
The second email, sent at 5:25 PM on March 31 updated some copy but kept the Nettles ad intact, before a third “REVISED-Newsletter District 8” version was sent at 10:30 AM CDT today, April 1, with the ad removed. The first two including the Nettles’ campaign ad had “Chelsie Template” written in the subject line. Chelsie Anthony is Nettle’s District Director. DX has also learned directly from city sources that each district is responsible for drafting and sending their own newsletters.
Texas Election Code Chapter 255 bars using public funds or resources, like city emails, for political advertising. Section 255.003 makes it a Class A misdemeanor for an officer or employee of a political subdivision to knowingly authorize such spending. That the ad persisted through two emails before being redacted from the third raises questions about intent and oversight.
The Dallas Express contacted the Fort Worth City Council Communications Director, who pointed DX to Nettle’s District 8’s staff to pursue our investigation and for comment from Mr. Nettles’ district office. Neither Mr. Nettles nor his district director, Ms. Anthony have yet to return DX’s calls for comment.
Nettles, a pastor with Purpose Driven Ministries and District 8 rep since 2021, faces Payton Jackson and Arthur McCoy Jr. in the May 3, 2025, election. Early voting starts April 22nd. Legal experts say deliberate use of the city email platform to campaign for re-election is almost certainly a breach of the Texas Elections code. The Texas Ethics Commission can slap Nettles’ campaign with up to $4,000 in fines as well as criminal penalties. Section 255.0031, banning political ads via an “internal mail system.”
Questions have also been raised about the city’s own legal liability given the use of it’s public, taxpayer email platform for political advertising in the middle of a competitive campaign.
District 8 seat challenger Payton Jackson, a former Nettles staffer turned critic, has already clashed with the incumbent council publicly this election cycle, notably leaking a 2022 recording of him accusing colleagues of racism as previously reported by DX. Arthur McCoy Jr., is Nettles’ other challenger.
The incident is likely to fuel these challengers’ own political narratives and campaigns so close to early voting. Residents of District 8, which spans neighborhoods south of downtown Fort Worth along Interstate 35 along with Nettles’ challengers are likely to question whether taxpayer dollars were purposefully used to promote Mr. Nettles’ re-election campaign.
The Dallas Express will continue to investigate and report on the city’s response to this developing story.