Eight candidates for the Dallas City Council reportedly did not disclose personal financial information on a mandatory election document.
Omar Narvaez and Jaynie Schultz, both incumbents, chose not to include certain information on their financial statements that were submitted, according to The Dallas Morning News (DMN).
Four candidates did not even submit the document. These include candidates Denise Benavides, Terry Perkins, Marvin Crenshaw, and Davante Peters, according to the DMN. The deadline for the disclosure was March 9.
Perkins told the DMN that he believed the form was lost in the mail and he was resending another, while Peters and Benavides said they missed the deadline after falling behind.
“I’m a grassroots candidate and so between block walking and being a small business owner I was just late,” Benavides told the DMN.
Narvaez and Schultz only listed their names, addresses, and phone numbers in the document and not any other sources of income, including what they receive as elected council members.
Other candidates, including Okema Thomas, Sidney Robles Martinez, Chris Carter, Subrina Lynn Brenham, and August Doyle, also did not disclose any financial information on their forms.
Both Schultz and Narvaez claimed to the DMN that this was an error, and both said they intended to reach out to the City of Dallas to make sure it has their accurate information.
Schultz represents District 11 in North Dallas and Narvaez represents District 6 in West Dallas.
The Dallas Express asked Schultz about The Dallas Morning News’ reporting, to which the council member replied that her financial statements had been submitted. Schultz then instructed The Dallas Express to “Look at the website.”
City Secretary Bilierae Johnson told the DMN that all candidates are required to submit financial statements in the required election documents and told each candidate that it needs to be done.
“The state ethics commission is the agency in charge of enforcing any possible violations,” Johnson told the DMN.
Not submitting the required forms is a misdemeanor punishable by as much as a $2,000 fine, according to the DMN.
Some candidates, including Paul Ridley, disclosed owning shares in companies like Verizon and Nike. Ridley reported receiving shareholder payouts from Charles Schwab worth a minimum of $25,000 and a minimum of $5,000 from Home Depot.
