Courtesy of Metro Creative Connection.
Campaign mailers voicing support for city council candidates Albert Mata and Mariana Griggs and opposing the incumbent candidate Chad West were funded by “dark money,” West said in a statement Friday.
Many District 1 residents received the mailers in Friday’s mail, just over two weeks before the May 6 general election.Â
The mailers describe Mata as “a fighter for our community,” and Griggs as “the only candidate ready to turn our district around.” In the third mailer, West is described as “a political insider,” who has been “a rubber stamp to greedy developers.”
All three mailers were paid for by the New American PAC and delivered together.
In a social media statement, West said the mailers were sent out by “a single dark money special interest group” that is “trying to buy” the District 1 city council seat.
“Over the next three weeks, our campaign will be outspent significantly by this dark money group. I am going to be attacked, smeared and have the kitchen sink thrown at me,” West said. “These attacks are not true and there is a reason only a shady organization is saying is anonymously in your mailbox rather than real neighbors to your face.”
The address listed for the PAC is the same address associated with the law office of former Dallas city council member Domingo Garcia, according to Google.
Garcia is listed as a campaign contributor for Mata’s campaign, donating $1,000. The address listed for the financial contribution is the same as the address of his law office and the address associated with New American PAC.
Garcia could not be immediately reached for comment, and a voice mailbox associated with his law office was full at the time of publishing.
In a statement made to the Advocate, Mata said he is not involved with the PAC.
“These mailers were sent out independently and outside of the campaign. I am laser focused on reaching out to voters directly, where they are,” Mata said.
Griggs also said she was not involved with the PAC, and had not seen the mailers at the time she spoke with the Advocate.
“I want nothing to do with them,” Griggs said. “I don’t know anything about them.”
Griggs said that on Thursday she and Mata met for lunch where they shared praise for “how nice” and civil the election has been, and the lack of attacks that have been leveled between candidates.
