SAN ANTONIO — A new investigative report aired on KSAT-TV today found that Gina Jones has once again betrayed the public by cheating during a recently filmed debate on Univision San Antonio, using her cell phone to receive guidance from her campaign staff in the middle of the pre-recorded forum for San Antonio voters to hear the competing visions of both mayoral candidates.
Rolando Pablos accepted the terms of the debate despite an 11th hour demandfrom the Gina Jones campaign that Univision force Rolando to answer certain questions in English, rigging the debate to avoid embarrassing her on a Spanish-language network.
While Univision made every attempt to maintain fairness and integrity of the debate, Gina Jones betrayed the confidence by repeatedly violating the agreed-upon terms, clearly using her phone to correspond with her campaign staff in full view of the cameras, moderators, and producers of the pre-taped debate that aired today.
In response to the public revelations, Pablos issued the following statement to San Antonio voters:
“When someone gets caught breaking the rules, the real question is: how long have they been doing it?
“If Gina was cheating on stage, in full view of the public, what is she going to pull when you aren’t watching? Imagine what she’ll do with a city budget, a no-bid contract, or your tax dollars.”
“Even after rigging the debate to avoid a catastrophic embarrassment for her campaign, her campaign staff still continued to cheat by feeding her answers through her phone. That’s not just cheating, that’s disqualifying.
“Gina thinks the rules don’t apply to her, because they never have. Her first instinct under pressure wasn’t to lead, it was to cheat. That should terrify every voter.
“Gina always asks voters to judge candidates not by what they say, but by their actions. I agree, and I urge voters to judge her by her recent actions, because we cannot have a leader who is a cheater.”
“I agreed to the terms of the debate, so did Gina. I upheld my commitment to transparency and integrity, she didn’t. She repeatedly cheated and got caught red handed, and her shameful performance only raises more questions about her integrity and commitment to transparency before the City she is purporting to be capable of leading.
“San Antonians see through her sham, and I am confident they will make the right choice by rejecting her at the polls in the June 7th Runoff Election.”
Below is video evidence that Gina Jones was being fed information by her campaign staff during yesterday’s pre-recorded debate on Univision San Antonio:
GINA JONES HIDES FROM THE PRESS, DODGES ACCOUNTABILITY
A Message from Rolando Pablos to the People of San Antonio
Starting immediately after the polls closed in the General Election on May 3rd, Gina Jones dodged any kind of scrutiny or accountability on her ability to lead San Antonio. She shut out members of the public and media from her election night event, when candidates are expected to present their vision for the future of our city.
She didn’t. Why? Because she has no vision.
It’s no wonder she literally ran away from reporters trying to ask her basic questions about the next steps in the campaign, as a defendant would behave when walking out of a courtroom to avoid incriminating herself.
Gina’s most recent cheating scandal during this week’s Univision debate recording is merely the latest example in a long history of dismissing public accountability and scrutiny, because she doesn’t respect you, the voters of San Antonio, enough to subject herself to any scrutiny over her abysmal record or lack of qualifications to lead our City.
Meanwhile, my campaign has been built around transparency and directly engaging in the types of difficult conversations we need to have as a community to chart a better path forward for San Antonio, including by restoring fiscal responsibility and accountability at City Hall.
I’ve already made clear that, as mayor, I will commit to regular press conferences to take questions from the press and public, allowing myself to be held accountable by San Antonians who are counting on transparent city leadership.
You can expect the opposite from Gina Jones who, bolstered by years of resources from a failed Washington, D.C. political machine, is still not ready to run for—much less hold—elected office representing San Antonians.
My approach is simple: I want to talk to you, I want to hear from you. Gina wants to dictate the rules and then break them, and shut out any scrutiny over her lack of leadership and accountability.
San Antonio’s next mayor deserves your trust, and I can promise you I will earn that trust by committing to a robust and open conversation that will help us take our city to new heights, together.
Rolando Pablos
To watch the report from KSAT 12 News, click here
For media inquiries and interview requests for Rolando Pablos, please e-mailsam@pablosformayor.com.
For more information about the Pablos for Mayor campaign, to volunteer, or to contribute, please visit www.pablosformayor.com, call (210) 260-7513 or e-mailcampaign@pablosformayor.com.
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