EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Months after an audit revealed unauthorized charges on a city council member's fuel card, the man who brought it to light now says he was intimidated and retaliated against by former city manager Tommy Gonzalez because of his audit.
The City of El Paso's Chief Internal Auditor, Edmundo Calderon, is now threatening to sue the City under the state's whistleblower statute.
El Paso attorney Laura Enriquez, who is representing Calderon, sent a three-page letter to City Attorney Karla Nieman and Mayor Oscar Leeser on July 21. ABC-7 has obtained a copy of that letter.
Enriquez claims her client was the victim of harassment and retaliation by Tommy Gonzalez and his staff.
"Gonzalez was intimidating my client, trying to influence his work and impede his independence at the City Chief Internal Auditor making references to a request for a raise," the letter reads in part, referencing a May 18 meeting.
In the letter, Calderon's attorney alleges that on June 9 he was denied a budget request for cybersecurity work for $250,000 and was only approved for $100,000. By that time, Tommy Gonzalez had taken a lesser role as advisor to the Interim City Manager, Cary Westin, in anticipation of his departure at the end of the month.
ABC-7 reached out to Gonzalez about the allegations and he declined to comment.
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