Candidato del Distrito 8 Alluin Bajo Escrutinio por Gastos de Campaña

El Paso City Council candidate Arturo Alluin spent thousands of dollars in campaign funds on clothing and restaurant meals, according to a campaign finance report filed July 16, raising legal and ethical questions about the expenditures.

Alluin is running to represent District 8, which includes Downtown, the Southside and Westside. According to El Paso Matters, Alluin owns three restaurants in El Paso: Sushiitto in Downtown, Mykonos Mediterranean Steakhouse on the Westside, and the Melting Pot at the Fountains at Farah.

Alluin has raised more than $30,200 in monetary contributions, loaned his campaign $35,000 and spent $42,750 so far. More than $6,000 in expenditures went to restaurants, including Cafe Central, Los Arcos in Ciudad Juárez and his own establishments Mykonos and Sushiitto. He often reimbursed himself for food and beverages paid with personal funds.

Texas Ethics Commission executive director James Tinley said state law prohibits candidates from using campaign contributions to pay a business they own for personal services, though campaign services are allowed if reimbursement does not exceed actual expenditure. Tinley declined to comment specifically on Alluin's finances.

Roger Borgelt, an Austin-based campaign finance attorney, said Alluin's restaurant spending could be misinterpreted. "I think it can be misconstrued as a personal benefit. That's kind of a gray area … It doesn't look good," Borgelt said, according to El Paso Matters.

Alluin defended the restaurant expenses, saying he met with government officials, reporters, neighborhood associations and unions at the venues. He applied a 50% discount to meals, he said, meaning his businesses operated at a loss. Alluin added he met with constituents in Ciudad Juárez because they own maquilas on both sides of the border.

Alluin also listed more than $2,500 in "campaign clothing" purchases at Brooks Brothers and Dillard's, including dress shirts and pants. Tinley said campaign contributions cannot generally pay for clothing adaptable to ordinary use, including business attire. Alluin said he was unaware of that restriction and purchased the clothing because he "didn't dress like this before" and considered it a candidate's "uniform."

Borgelt said such expenditures were improper. "Clothing, even when worn for a campaign, is a personal expenditure unless it's something such as a T-shirt with a campaign logo on it," Borgelt said.

Moreover, Alluin spent more than $10,000 on Isabel Salcido, a former city representative and unsuccessful 2024 mayoral candidate, who served as a campaign advisor and provided marketing material. Salcido said she only advised Alluin on some questions and was not his campaign manager.

The District 8 seat is currently held by city Rep. Chris Canales, who has not filed to run for reelection as of July 20. Matthew Guzman has also filed a campaign treasurer report for the seat.