City employee accused of playing golf when he was supposed to be working
SAN ANTONIO - A city employee was accused of golfing when he was supposed to be working and getting paid with your tax dollars.
The News 4 I-Team breaking this story investigators claim involved a dozen on-the-clock golf outings.
Investigators with the City of San Antonio obtained sign-in sheets from numerous local golf courses as evidence and a Facebook post which they say proves the public works employee was golfing while on the clock.
Investigators found Thomas Rivera, Utility Coordinator with the Public Works Department making $60,000 a year, hit the links 12 times during work hours.
We obtained a list of Rivera’s playing history through an open records request. Highlighted in blue are the dates he's accused of playing golf during his shift. The tee times range from eleven in the morning to just after two in the afternoon.
Investigators also cite this video posted last March by a man who wrote he was “with Tommy Rivera at Brackenridge Park Golf Course.
Someone commented next to the video: "Tax dollars at work. Or not?"
In their report investigators with the city's Office of Municipal Integrity wrote: "He initially denied all the allegations. When it became apparent that OMI had evidence about the golf allegation, he reluctantly acknowledged that he hadn't submitted sufficient leave."
But Rivera had a different story when we went to talk to him.
"Can you tell me how come you were playing golf when you should have been working for the city?” Avila asked Rivera.
“That did not happen,” Rivera responded.
Avila continued, “The city has a list of your tee times at golf courses and a social media post that shows where you were.”
“That was just a tag is all it was, and as far as my phone number, as long as you're a member of the golf club anybody can use it, so my friends used my Alamo Golf Club thing to play golf,” Rivera said.
“So, you're saying your friends impersonated you to play golf?” Avila asked.
“It's not impersonation, it's just using my discount, is all it was," Rivera responded.
Rivera says his friends used his phone number and name to get a discount and he wasn't there, he was working.
“Why would your friend post on Facebook, ‘Tommy's here with me' if he wasn't?” Avila asked.
Rivera replied, “Social media. I have more posts on my Facebook that show that I may be somewhere, they say like, 'We're here' and I’m tagged. Being tagged is being tagged. I have no control over that."
We contacted the friend who posted the video. He said he had no comment and took the video down from his page.
The city wasn't persuaded. It says Rivera was fired as a result of the investigation.
Rivera claims he was vindicated because the Texas Workforce Commission awarded him unemployment benefits. But TWC told News 4 it does not investigate whether a firing is justified. The city is appealing that ruling.