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The Pedernales Electric Board of Directors authorized attorney Jimmy Williamson to work with PEC General Manager Juan Garza in settlement of claims against former Cooperative legal partner Clark, Thomas & Winters. “Discussions have reached a critical point,” Garza said, “and I remain committed to upholding our fiduciary responsibility to the membership while pursuing actions that will allow us to focus on our core business: providing safe, reliable electric service at the fairest rates possible.”

The action was unanimously ratified at the Cooperative’s June 15 Board meeting through a resolution authorizing Williamson to: “… settle any claims Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc. may have against Clark, Thomas & Winters, including former partner Walter Demond, on such terms as have been set forth by the Board with final settlement documentation to be approved and executed by General Manager, Juan Garza, as the authorized representative of Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc.” Said Williamson, “I have received my instructions and will work vigorously to obtain a result in the best interest of the Cooperative.”

Williamson, principal of Houston law firm Williamson & Rusnak, was retained by PEC in January to lead a formal investigation of questionable payments made by Clark, Thomas & Winters while the firm served as the Cooperative’s legal counsel. Williamson has focused on alleged improper payments made by Clark, Thomas & Winters to Curtis Fuelberg, a Texas lobbyist and brother of former PEC general manager Bennie Fuelberg, and attorney William Price, son of former Board Director E.B. Price. The allegations arose following the December 2008 release of the PEC-commissioned investigative report by Navigant Consulting, Inc.