Rosa Rosales, Elia Mendoza, Luis Roberto Vera Jr., Magdalena "Maggie" Rivera, Baldomero "Baldo" Garza Jr. III and Ralina Cordona
A TRO was filed in Bexar County, Texas by several LULAC members to maintain last year's LULAC National Officers and Executive Committee in power for one more year.
By H. Nelson Goodson
July 20, 2014
San Antonio, Texas - On Friday, a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was filed by Attorney Luis Roberto Vera Jr. on behalf of both (Plaintiffs) Elia Mendoza and Rosa Rosales, a former LULAC National President and current LULAC members against members (Defendants) Eduardo LaGuerre, Magdalena "Maggie" Rivera, Ralina Cordona, Enrique Dovalina, Baldomero "Baldo" Garza Jr. III, Ray Mancera and other un-named Defendants. The Plaintiffs are seeking for a court to keep Rivera from taking office as the newly elected LULAC National President and Garza from taking office for a fourth term, as LULAC Vice President-Southwest and Cordona as LULAC Vice President-Northeast. The TRO also seeks for Defendants to stop sending correspondence to other LULAC members concerning the results of the National elections because it is causing reputable harm to the organization.
The Plaintiffs alleged that the Defendants conspired to take over the LULAC non-profit organization, despite that the Defendants were actually candidates for National officers and are certified voting members. The Defendants are accused of committing "fraud, tortuous interference with the national elections of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), declaratory judgement and civil conspiracy."
The Plaintiffs are claiming that the Defendants, Garza and LaGuerre purposely conspired with the other Defendants to filed a TRO at a Bronx court in New York on Friday, July 11 against the current LULAC National President Margaret Moran and her National Legal Advisor Manuel G. Escobar Jr. to restrict them from taking action on Rules 12 to 21, thus usurping the powers of the National Assembly and withheld information of the TRO until shortly before the LULAC National elections would take place on Saturday. The lack of information about the TRO gave Moran and Escobar Jr. limited time to counter react and deal with the TRO order.
Vera Jr. who filed the TRO in San Antonio was also the Election Judge appointed by Moran that decided to postpone the 85th LULAC National Convention elections. Its the first time in LULAC's 85th history that elections have been suspended at an annual national convention. The delegates at the convention say, that Vera Jr. recessed the Assembly and then returned several hours later and never reconvene or adjourned the Assembly as required by the LULAC By-laws and parliamentary procedures. Vera Jr. left the Assembly after he announced that the yearly elections were postpone due to a TRO order.
Veteran members at the Assembly took over and selected their officers to conduct the elections and Rivera was elected by 60% of the delegates who decided to stay for the elections. One thing for sure, if the elections wouldn't have been postponed by Vera Jr. and Moran, Rivera would have still been elected as LULAC National President. Because the majority of the delegates present were in favor of electing Rivera who defeated Roger C. Rocha Jr. from Laredo, Texas. Rivera of Crystal Lake, Illinois became the first Hispanic woman to be elected LULAC National President from the Midwest that advocated reform.
The Plaintiffs claim that the Defendants had committed fraud and interfered with the LULAC National elections is frivolous, according to delegates.
Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) has learned that Moran wouldn't accept Darryl Morin's resignation as the LULAC Vice President-Midwest because with Morin's vote on the National Board, Moran has 7 votes to continue as National President and Maggie Rivera, the newly elected President has 6 votes. Morin back on the Board will be considered the wild card for reform or a Judas?
Moran can only serve four years in one year terms as an elected National President and earns about $60,000 annually, plus travel expenses, accommodations and other benefits as LULAC National President. Morin only gets reimbursement for travel and accommodations for LULAC business.
Apparently over the weekend in Washington, D.C., the National Executive Board met and decided that Margaret Moran, Rosa Rosales, Manuel Rendon and Mickie Luna would be allowed to serve a fifth term after serving their final one year term of four terms allowed under the LULAC Constitution. No National officer is allowed to serve a fifth term after serving four years at one year terms.
The majority of the LULAC membership is calling it a disgrace and a gross violation of their Constitution and voting rights. LULAC has a history of fighting and advocating for justice, voting rights, civil rights and integrity, but as usual, the current leadership violates the very principles they're sworn to uphold. Morin was considered as the scapegoat to allow those out termed members to continue to serve illegally. Morin has not released a statement about his support for Moran and the others to remain in office.
LULAC members are requesting for Moran, Rosales, Rendon and Luna to gracefully bow out and allow other reputable members to serve as elected.
As some delegates have explained, the Texas based Mexican-Americans don't want to turn the organization over to traditional Mexican descent members or to Puerto Rican members to lead at the national level. But basically, the elected leadership or expired termed leadership don't own LULAC, they are elected custodians who are employed by the majority of the voting delegates and financed by the whole membership. The majority of delegates voted for a new National President at the 85th LULAC National Convention and should be recognized by Brent Wilkes, the Executive Director of LULAC National, according to delegates at the convention.
Rivera, who was elected National President is currently being cheated out of her term. Several TRO's have been filed, one in Bronx County, NY and the NY TRO hearing to review the case, if the order was abide is set for July 28. The second TRO was filed in Bexar County, Texas regarding the issue of the 2014 LULAC elections, results and a hearing is set for August 1.
The Editor of the Voice of the Mainland rebuttaled Mendoza, Rosales and Vera Jr.'s claims and in an editorial form addressed most allegations on the TRO. The Editor also alleged that Rosa Rosales, former LULAC National President and current LULAC National President, Margaret Moran engaged and "have been one of ruthlessness, cheating, theft of LULAC resources, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars under the table, all to advance their goals and not the goals of LULAC." The Editor was named as one of the Defendant's co-conspirator.Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) has learned that Moran wouldn't accept Darryl Morin's resignation as the LULAC Vice President-Midwest because with Morin's vote on the National Board, Moran has 7 votes to continue as National President and Maggie Rivera, the newly elected President has 6 votes. Morin back on the Board will be considered the wild card for reform or a Judas?
Moran can only serve four years in one year terms as an elected National President and earns about $60,000 annually, plus travel expenses, accommodations and other benefits as LULAC National President. Morin only gets reimbursement for travel and accommodations for LULAC business.
Apparently over the weekend in Washington, D.C., the National Executive Board met and decided that Margaret Moran, Rosa Rosales, Manuel Rendon and Mickie Luna would be allowed to serve a fifth term after serving their final one year term of four terms allowed under the LULAC Constitution. No National officer is allowed to serve a fifth term after serving four years at one year terms.
The majority of the LULAC membership is calling it a disgrace and a gross violation of their Constitution and voting rights. LULAC has a history of fighting and advocating for justice, voting rights, civil rights and integrity, but as usual, the current leadership violates the very principles they're sworn to uphold. Morin was considered as the scapegoat to allow those out termed members to continue to serve illegally. Morin has not released a statement about his support for Moran and the others to remain in office.
LULAC members are requesting for Moran, Rosales, Rendon and Luna to gracefully bow out and allow other reputable members to serve as elected.
As some delegates have explained, the Texas based Mexican-Americans don't want to turn the organization over to traditional Mexican descent members or to Puerto Rican members to lead at the national level. But basically, the elected leadership or expired termed leadership don't own LULAC, they are elected custodians who are employed by the majority of the voting delegates and financed by the whole membership. The majority of delegates voted for a new National President at the 85th LULAC National Convention and should be recognized by Brent Wilkes, the Executive Director of LULAC National, according to delegates at the convention.
Rivera, who was elected National President is currently being cheated out of her term. Several TRO's have been filed, one in Bronx County, NY and the NY TRO hearing to review the case, if the order was abide is set for July 28. The second TRO was filed in Bexar County, Texas regarding the issue of the 2014 LULAC elections, results and a hearing is set for August 1.
The Editor's rebuttal can be viewed at the following copy of the Texas TRO link: http://alturl.com/3cx5c
LaGuerre v. Moran, Bronx County, NY TRO http://scribd.com/doc/234200268
Letter dated July 15, 2014 that was sent to Brent Wilkes, Executive Director of LULAC National Office from Enrique "Kiki" Vigil, the New Mexico State Director in support of the newly elected LULAC National officers. Letter cites LULAC Constitutional and By-laws legal procedures used to hold national officer elections. Link: http://scribd.com/doc/234073157
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