Given state Sen. Carlos Uresti’s involvement with FourWinds Logistics, the bankrupt frac-sand company at the center of fraud allegations, we cannot recommend him to voters.
Under the best scenario, Uresti’s role in FourWinds reflects poor judgment. The FourWinds story is incredibly complicated, and Uresti is but one player. But he’s an important player, one whose role as a state senator gave FourWinds a legitimacy it clearly did not deserve.
Uresti represented Denise Cantu, a legal client, after her Ford Explorer’s rear tire blew out, causing a rollover and the deaths of her son, daughter and two others. Cantu won a large settlement, and Uresti encouraged her to invest $900,000 in FourWinds. It was bad advice. Cantu lost most of the money in the deal, but Uresti received $27,000 in commission.
Uresti has been inconsistent about his involvement with FourWinds. He initially said he had a 10 percent stake in Cantu’s investment, only to later say he does not. He also received a $40,000 loan from FourWinds, which he says was an advance on future commissions and legal work. He initially failed to disclose this source of income on his personal financial statement.
Uresti has served on the Natural Resources Committee, which oversees public policy on oil and gas. That raises obvious questions about potential conflicts of interest with his ties to FourWinds. Uresti has refused to acknowledge a potential conflict.
Republican Pete Flores is challenging Uresti for the District 19 Texas Senate seat. Flores, a retired game warden colonel, is earnest and strikingly positive. But he supports school vouchers and replacing property taxes with a so-called fair tax, which is an increased sales tax. These policies would set Texas back.
Uresti is a better fit for South Texas on issues and experience, but we offer no recommendation in this Senate race.