The effort to remove Mayor Paulette Guajardo moved forward Tuesday after the Corpus Christi City Council held a pre-trial hearing and voted to continue the process, setting hearings for July 22 and 23.
The hearing marked the latest development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the mayor’s potential removal from office. Guajardo and her legal team continue to argue that the council’s process does not provide proper due process, while council members say they are following the city charter and allowing the matter to proceed.
Following the hearing, Guajardo said she believes the effort is politically motivated.
“There is nothing to justify it. My lawyer said it simply today. Things that they’re accusing me of, this is political,” Guajardo said. “There are at least three to four of those council members up there who want to run for mayor.”
During the hearing, Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn served as Mayor Pro Tem and presided over motions related to the proceedings.
“It would be easy to look the other way, but we can’t,” Vaughn said. “A petition of over 2300 people. We’re following the charter. So now the trial will be the next time, the 22nd, 23rd. We’re gonna be fair, give them anything they need, anything they want. I’m gonna be as fair as I can be.”
Guajardo’s attorney, John Flood, repeatedly asked Councilman Gil Hernandez and Councilwoman Sylvia Campos to recuse themselves from the proceedings as they previously served as witnesses in the Homewood Suites investigation in February 2024.
Neither council member recused themselves during Tuesday’s hearing.
Hernandez declined to comment, while Campos said she does not plan to recuse herself.
“I didn’t participate in any of those transactions that were going on, so I feel confident that I’m free to participate,” Campos said. “No, I don’t have a bias at all.”
Councilman Mark Scott said maintaining transparency and due process throughout the proceedings is important.
“When people come in immediately make motions that get seconded and voted on without discussion, I think that gives the perception of a lack of due process,” Scott said.
Guajardo said her legal team plans to continue challenging the process.
“We’re gonna continue to ensure that the law and due process are followed because that’s what’s fair,” she said.
During the hearing, Vaughn said additional pre-trial hearings could potentially be scheduled for June 8 and 9 if more preliminary matters need to be addressed before the July hearings.
Meanwhile, a separate federal case remains active before Judge George Hanks.
According to Flood, the city and individual council members have filed motions to dismiss the federal case. Guajardo’s response to those motions was due Tuesday, with Flood saying the filing would likely be submitted later that evening.
The city and council members will then have until next Tuesday to file replies. After reviewing the filings, Judge Hanks is expected to rule on the motions without holding another hearing. It remains unclear when that ruling will be issued.