Catalina Vasquez Villalpando

Catalina "Cathi" Vásquez Villalpando (born April 1, 1940 in San Marcos , Texas ) is an American government official. She was the 39th Treasurer of the United States under President George HW Bush from December 11, 1989 to January 20, 1993  . Prior to that, she held positions of minor importance under President Ronald Reagan and was Chair of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly . Villalpando was found guilty of obstruction of justice and tax evasion in 1994. She is the only treasurer ever sent to jail.

Early years

Catalina Vásquez Villalpando was born into a poor family in Hays County . She still has three sisters and two brothers. Her father, who was a democrat and migrant worker all her life , took her and her siblings to the fields to teach them all what it means to have to work for a living. After attending community school, she graduated from San Marcos High School. She then worked in a jewelry store and as a secretary at Southwest Texas State College , which she attended part-time. Villalpando did not complete her studies there. On the advice of her father, she enrolled at The University of Texas College of Business Administration .

Her association with the Republican Party began when she got a job as a secretary with the Texas Republican Party in Austin while attending business school . In 1969 she became assistant to the local director of the Community Service Administration, where she was responsible for minority and economic issues. She eventually became a director and later worked in the now defunct Office of Economic Opportunity .

In the late 1970s she worked for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the Texas Department of Commerce . She returned to the private sector in 1979 and accepted the position as Vice President of the Mid-South Oil Company . She also started her own consulting firm, VP Promotions, providing public relations for minority-owned savings and loan companies under a federal contract.

Political career

Villalpando was an early supporter of George HW Bush. After Ronald Reagan won the Republican primary in 1980, she volunteered to help out in the Reagan election campaign in Texas. She was rewarded with a position as Staff Assistant in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel when Reagan took office in 1981. In the same year she returned to Texas, where she worked as Voter Groups Coordinator for the Texas Republican Party.

For the next two years she served as an activist in both the Republican and Hispanic circles. She has served on the committees of the Texas Federation of Republican Women , the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project , the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the American GI Forum . She was also appointed to the Texas Advisory Committee in the United States Commission on Civil Rights and the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization in the Department of Transportation .

The Reagan administration became aware of Villalpando's work in 1983. She was subsequently offered a position as Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison in Washington, DC , which she accepted. In her new role, she took care of public interest groups, lobbyists and the general public. She soon stood out for her "formidable ... administrative skills" . Her reputation continued to rise through her efforts to win Hispanics over to the Republican Party.

Private sector

After two years, Villalpando left government service. She joined in August 1985, the position as Senior Vice President of - as well as partner and major shareholder - at Communications International, Inc. (CII), a telecommunications company in Norcross ( Georgia ). The company was founded by Joseph Profit, a former running back with the Atlanta Falcons and a well-known Georgia businessman who had served in various functions in the Reagan administration and in the first Bush administration. Villalpando was one of several high-profile Republicans who made profit in the company and helped him land millions of dollars in federal contracts.

Despite the fact that she had left government service at the time, her political commitment did not cease, particularly attracting more Hispanics to the Republican Party.

Villalpando became national chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA) in 1987. At the time, the RNHA supported the Republican National Committee and was responsible for public relations and advocacy for Hispanics in the party. The effort led to her election as group leader in 1988, when the presidential campaign between then- Vice President Bush and Senate minority leader Bob Dole entered a disgusting contest for the support of Republican Hispanics. Villalpando had developed a special talent for winning Hispanics into the party and, as an ally of Bush, was expected to channel the support of that group for his Republican nomination.

MBDA investigation

When Villalpando took over the management of the RNHA in 1987, the Inspector General of the Ministry of Commerce carefully scrutinized it. An independent investigation has already begun following allegations that MBDA director James Richardson Gonzalez and Ernest Olivas junior, an MBDA official, were taking advantage of their positions to gain support for the Bush election campaign. Olivas had been a friend of Villalpando since the time they both served on the staff at the White House and he was speechwriter for the Vice President. The investigation revealed that Olivas was soliciting prominent Hispanic Republicans to support Villalpando's bid for the chair of the RNHA. RNHA co-founder Francisco Vega was one of those contacted and confirmed to investigators that Olivas called him while he was on work at the government office in a potential breach of the Hatch Act . Villalpando's role was tangential to the investigation. She was not guilty of any wrongdoing. Olivas left the civil service and was employed as a manager in the Communications International, Inc. Washington, DC office

On April 4, 1989, President Bush nominated Villalpando Treasurer of the United States. The US Senate confirmed her nomination on November 20, 1989.

Treasurer of the United States

Signature of Catalina Vasquez Villalpando

Villalpando took her oath of office on December 11, 1989. The ceremony was attended by US Senator from Texas Phil Gramm and Mexican Ambassador to the United States Gustavo Petricioli . As Treasurer of the United States, Villalpando became the senior Latina in the Bush administration and a prominent member in the Hispanic community.

During her tenure, the first major change to the US currency was made since the motto "In God We Trust," which was introduced in 1957. From September 1991, the US $ 50 and US $ 100 banknotes designed with new, advanced technology began to go into circulation. This move was made because of the new emerging digital printers. In the same year Villalpando initiated a special program for the sale of commemorative coins from Mount Rushmore , which amounted to 37 million US dollars. Half of the money was to be used to clean up Mount Rushmore, which was estimated to cost $ 40 million, and the other half to pay off the national debt.

Clinton statements

In August 1992, Villalpando got into a controversy over statements that she and the Secretary of Commerce and Bush campaign manager Robert Mosbacher had made. The comments related to ongoing sex affairs and rumors around the governor of Arkansas and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton and the former mayor of San Antonio Henry Cisneros . During a visit by the New Jersey delegation to the 1992 Republican National Convention , Villalpando is reported to have said the following to the delegates:

"Can you imagine two skirt-chasers campaigning together?"

She also questioned Clinton's qualifications under the circumstances. Some members of the delegation were not pleased with these remarks, particularly former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean , who said the remarks were completely unnecessary. Although both Bush and Villalpando apologized, Clinton's campaign spokesman, George Stephanopoulos , urged the president to fire both officials.

CII scandal

examination

During the controversy surrounding her remarks surrounding Clinton and Cisneros, she became the central figure in a criminal investigation launched by the Justice Department . The investigation initially focused on allegations that Villalpando accepted favors and other gratuities from CII during her tenure in breach of federal law. As a result, a number of potential charges were made: bribery; Appointment to defraud the government into false or fraudulent claims; Blackmail; False statements to federal officials and fraud via cable, radio or television.

News dated October 29, 1992 reported that FBI agents raided several buildings and homes in Washington, DC, Virginia and Georgia the day before . These included the homes of Villalpando and Olivas and the offices of CII in Norcross, where boxes of documents were confiscated. Villalpando took an immediate release from her post while Olivas, who had left CII to serve as director of Hispanic public relations in Bush's re-election campaign, left the campaign. Profit wasn't one of the suspects. Instead, he told reporters that investigators told him and likely other employees the following:

"'They ... were witnesses' and would be asked to provide information."

Records received during the investigation revealed that Villalpando had received more than $ 147,000 from CII after taking up her post as US treasurer in December 1989. Villalpando would have received an additional bonus payment of $ 441,417 if she was ready to leave the company. Ultimately, the records showed that Villalpando still had between $ 250,000 and $ 500,000 in company stock.

According to Villalpando's records, the $ 147,000 was intended as a severance payment. However, no evidence of this was found in the required disclosure forms that she submitted to the government after her nomination. In her verification process, she stated that she would keep her shareholdings in the company, but promised no involvement in the company's business. The following year she received her severance payment and an additional $ 7,000 for accrued vacation. The investigators were now entrusted with finding out whether these payments were expected but were simply not reported or received in anticipation of influencing federal contracts.

CII revealed that it did a large part of its business with the government. Between 1983 and 1992, the telecommunications company won 56 non-competitive contracts totaling $ 68.6 million. During the Second Gulf War , CII had received huge orders to provide communications networks for the US armed forces in the region and to help the Kuwaitians rebuild the infrastructure after the war.

Condemnation

The investigation showed that there was no influence on the part of Villalpando. Instead, other criminal investigations began in the Department of Building (HUD) into fraud and the immoral award of federal contracts during the Reagan administration. In May 1992, Villalpando was summoned to the Grand Jury for testimony and was instructed to produce certain documents on the case with the involvement of HUD officer Deborah Gore Dean . The investigation began to turn in the direction of the failure to disclose the severance payment from Communications International, Inc. and the failure to pay related taxes. In the following year, she was also accused of obstructing the judiciary by making false statements to investigators and of destroying the documents to be presented.

At her trial, the prosecution charged her with three capital felons: tax evasion (total of $ 47,013 in income tax ); Appointed to misrepresent her finances (namely that she believed she owed less than she did) and obstruction of the grand jury (for the destruction of officially requested records in the HUD investigation). The prosecution called for a maximum fine of $ 750,000 and 15 years in prison. In the course of the trial, Villalpando admitted to having withheld significant funds and additional benefits that she received from CII. This was information that was able to influence the actions and decisions of these ministries and authorities, which was important for the assessment of their qualification as Treasurer of the United States. She also admitted the information obfuscation agreement that began back in March 1989 when she first learned that President Bush was about to nominate her for office. She also admitted that in July 1992 she asked her longtime friend Olivas to destroy documents that were to be presented to the independent cousel in the Dean case.

On February 18, 1994, Villalpando pleaded guilty to all three charges and was released pending her sentence. Their cooperation in the ongoing investigations into the CII contracts and HUD were taken into account in their sentencing. When she was sentenced, Villalpando received four months' imprisonment, three years probation (including four months of house arrest), 200 hours of community service, and a tax evasion fee of $ 150. The public prosecutor had tried unsuccessfully to enforce a more severe sentence.

Later years

Villalpando remained virtually exempt from office until the Clinton administration was inaugurated in January 1993. In 2003, her name appeared on a federal government list of well-known tax evaders. According to the report, the former treasurer had a tax debt of $ 168,417.72 with the county government.

The Atlantic Union College , a small liberal arts institution, 2006 Villalpando awarded an honorary doctorate for her work. In the same year she acted as the final speaker. She admonished the graduates:

"Embrace the tough times encountered in life."

Villalpando also thanked the Seventh-day Adventists - the college is under the aegis - for being there for her when she was at the bottom.

Villalpando is currently working as a quality assurance specialist in Amerix Corporation Call Center in Columbia ( Maryland ).

family

Villalpando married her high school sweetheart in 1970. The marriage ended in divorce a few years later. There were no children from the marriage. She currently lives in Reisterstown, Maryland.

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} David Johnston: US Treasurer Being Investigated On Payments From Ex-Employer , The New York Times, October 30, 1992, A1
2. ^ ^{A b} Matt S. Meier and Margo Gutierrez: The Mexican American Experience: An Encyclopedia , Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003, ISBN 9780313316432 , p. 416
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Barbara Vobejda: Government stints Lace Villalpando's Career; ..., The Washington Post, October 31, 1992
4. ↑ Vicki Ruíz and Virginia Sánchez Korrol: Latinas in the United States, set: A Historical Encyclopedia , Indiana University Press, 2006, ISBN 9780253111692 , pp. 374f.
5. ^ ^{A b c} John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters: Appointment of Catalina Villalpando as Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison , June 15, 1983, The American Presidency Project, Santa Barbara, University of California, Accessed July 20, 2009
6. ^ ^{A b c} John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters: Nomination of Catalina Vasquez Villalpando To Be Treasurer of the United States , April 4, 1989, The American Presidency Project, Santa Barbara, University of California, Accessed June 17, 2009
7. ^ ^{A b c d e} David Johnston: Treasurer's Records Show Payments by Ex-Employer , The New York Times, October 31, 1992
8. ^ ^{A b} John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters: Remarks at the Swearing-in Ceremony for Catalina Villalpando as Treasurer of the United States , December 11, 1989, The American Presidency Project, Santa Barbara, University of California, accessed June 17 2009
9. ↑ ^{a b} Jerry Thomas: Hispanics at Dinner Trade Loyalty Pledges With GOP, The Boston Globe, August 6, 1989
10. ^ ^{A b c} Villalpando's Firm Received US Contracts , Los Angeles Times, November 3, 1992
11. ↑ ^{a b c} Pete Yost: Bush Election Aide Quits Over Treasury Scandal, Chicago Sun-Times, October 31, 1992
12. ^ ^{A b} Jack Anderson and Dale Vanatta: Minority Agency is GOP Battleground, The Washington Post, May 13, 1987
13. ^ ^{A b c d} Ronald J. Ostrow and Ray Delgado: Former Treasurer Guilty of Tax Evasion , Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1994
14. ↑ Andrew Erdman: New Bills , Fortune Magazine, Sep. 9, 1991, Via CNNMoney.com
15. ^ "Restoring Mt. Rushmore, The Washington Post, February 18, 1991
16. ^ Gwen Ifill: The 1992 Campaign: The Democrats; Clinton Team Challenges GOP In Effort to 'Set Record Straight' , The New York Times, August 18, 1992
17. ↑ David Maraniss: Bush Called on 'Sleaze' Vow After GOP Remarks, The Washington Post, August 18, 1992
18. ^ ^{A b} Ronald J. Ostrow and Eric Harrison: US Treasurer Target of Criminal Probe , Los Angeles Times, October 30, 1992
19. ↑ ^{a b} Sharon LaFraniere: FBI Raids US Treasurers Home in Criminal sample, The Washington Post, October 30, 1992
20. ^ ^{A b} David Johnston: US Treasurer Under Bush Pleads Guilty to 3 Felonies , The New York Times, February 18, 1994
21. ^ Office of Public Affairs, US Department of Justice, Former US Treasurer Sentenced , press release, DOJ.gov, September 1994
22. ^ Nation IN LETTER - Ex-US Treasurer Given Prison Term , Los Angeles Times, September 18, 1994
23. ↑ United States Department of the Treasury: Treasurers of the US, History the Treasury, Accessed June 28, 2009
24. ^ ^{A b} Lloyd Grove: The Reliable Source, The Washington Post, June 18, 2003
25. ^ ^{A b} Yesterday's Commencements, The Boston Globe, May 15, 2006
26. ^ ^{A b} Mary Jo Hill: AUC graduates urged to dream , Telegram & Gazette, May 15, 2006