Financial mismanagement has become a topic of discussion in the Republican primary for Tarrant County tax assessor-collector.
During a meeting with the Star-Telegram editorial board, incumbent Wendy Burgess alleged financial mismanagement by her opponent Rick Barnes — who she defeated in the 2018 primary.
“Anything Ms. Burgess has to say regarding the Tarrant County GOP is second-hand-knowledge, if not worse,” Barnes said in a statement.
The Federal Ethics Commission fined the Tarrant County Republican Victory fund $3,208 in October 2020 and $1,471 in 2021. The Texas Ethics Commission also fined Tarrant County Republican Victory fund for filing its financial reports late in 2020. Barns was the chair of the party during that time.
Burgess said the fines should concern to taxpayers, given her office collects $6.5 billion.
“I believe if fines are being paid, then finances are not being handled properly,” Burgess told the Star-Telegram in an interview. “That’s a problem with management, leadership, making sure that those mistakes didn’t continue to occur and the organization pay didn’t continue to pay fines.”
Barnes said in a statement that he never mismanaged funds during his time with the Tarrant County GOP.
He added that the state and federal fines were a result of then treasurer Shannon Dubberly missing filing deadlines because he was unable to access the party offices during the pandemic.
“Upon receiving knowledge about the situation, I promptly had a meeting with Mr. Dubberly and removed him from the position of Treasurer,” Barnes said. “I also immediately reported the situation to the TCGOP Executive Committee.”
Dubberly, a Keller City Council member, told the Star-Telegram he resigned voluntarily last year.
“The fine occurred during early COVID, and I continued to serve/volunteer for more than two years without any further fines afterwards,” Dubberly said in a statement. “I voluntarily resigned from the position. After more than three to four years of volunteering and spending time away from my family, it was time to let someone else take the helm and I wanted to focus more on volunteering locally in my city.”
Tricia Lukaska, former precinct chair/treasurer for the Tarrant County GOP, wrote in an email exchange that Barnes made multiple and significant documented errors and failed to report them until he was confronted.
“It was not the perceived gross negligence or incompetence that was most concerning, but that he chose to give elaborate presentations that seemed to assert that, if the TCGOP had the ‘right system’ in place and hired paid professionals at-hand, there would have been no fines, fees, or errors in filing,” Lukaska wrote.
A 15-page anonymous letter obtained by the Star-Telegram that has made its way through local Republican circles alleges the Tarrant GOP under Barnes failed to file financial reports on time, failed to report payroll taxes and that the party often went over budget in its spending.
Barnes said the letter is not credible. He said the payroll tax was related the process of paying the party’s sole employee and that he inherited the problem when he became chair.
“When we were made aware of the situation, we took care of it immediately,” he said.
He said presentations regarding the fundraising take place at every party meeting.
“The body was — at all times — is made aware of the finances of the Party that they served,” he wrote.
Dubberly, the former treasurer, said the letter is politically driven and that its points are misrepresented.
“During my tenure as volunteer treasurer, I was (and am) not aware of any financial mismanagement,” he wrote in an email.
Barnes told the Star-Telegram last year he planned to run for county commissioner, he then announced his run for tax assessor in June and left his post as GOP chairman.
He called Burgess a “Republican in name only” and said she hasn’t been to a Tarrant County GOP meeting in four years.
Burgess denies this.
Early voting for the republican primary will open Feb 20 and take place March 5.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
