Ethics complaints filed against three Corpus Christi Council members

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]New tonight, ethics complaints have been filed against three Corpus Christi City Council members tied to the ongoing Homewood Suites controversy. The complaints claim that the council members voted on matters involving a hotel developer who had contributed to their campaigns. Tonight, Michael Gibson explains the allegations and why some in City Hall say the issue is raising broader concerns about ethics and influence. As a private citizen that comes from a CPA audit background, I am the person that chose to file the ethics complaints against several city council members. Sandra Moyer tells 3 News she's been looking into the Homewood Suites case since September of last year. That same legal battle is now at the center of efforts by some council members trying to remove the mayor from office.

[00:00:49]The ethics complaints Moyer filed target council members Gil Hernandez, Caylen Paxton, and Eric Cantu. The council member receives a donation if campaign donation in the most recent campaign cycle, which in this case would be the 2024 cycle, they cannot be engaging in business regarding that person.

[00:01:14]The ethics complaint alleges the three council members accepted campaign donations from Ajeet David, one of the rival hoteliers involved in that Homewood Suites dispute, and then later voted on matters that advanced David's fraud claims. There's no difference between me and the mayor. The mayor received tens of thousands of dollars from the down downtown hotel hoteliers that's that's involved in this lawsuit also, and she's voting on stuff and she's doing stuff, you know, it makes no difference. My understanding is not over $2,700.

[00:01:47]You don't have to recuse yourself. That $2,700 deals specifically if somebody is getting appointed to a board. If they are appointing somebody to a board that has donated $2,700, that's when that rule kicks in.

[00:02:03]Councilman Roland Gutierrez says the issue highlights concerns about how agenda items move through City Hall. He says because it only takes three council members to place an item on the agenda, questions about ethics and political influence are now being raised. What they're doing there's moving forward legislation that favors those that contribute to them.

[00:02:24]Now, if a process was followed and they vote yes or no, that's completely fine.

[00:02:29]Meyers says her goal in filing the ethics complaints is to push for more accountability at City Hall. She says she hopes council members moving forward will set the right example for the entire community.

[00:02:42]Michael Gibson, Three News.

[00:02:45]Thank you, Michael. Now, you heard from council member Eric Cantu, one of the three named in that complaint. We did also try to contact council members Caylin Paxton and Gil Hernandez for a comment, but as of news time, they had not responded.