Abilene council candidate Scott Beard responds to video, encounter with TV reporter

ABILENE — Scott Beard, a minister who is running for Abilene City Council, came under more fire this week after a video shared by a local TV station allegedly showed him promoting his campaign during a church service.

Beard is seeking the open Place 4 seat on the council in the May 6 election. He is a first-time candidate for office in Abilene.

Additionally this week, KTXS reporter Karina Hollingworth, who was doing a story on the issue, said Beard asked her to "work with me" after she brought questions about his campaign signs being posted on his church campus. He later opened her closed car door as she was leaving the interview at Fountaingate Fellowship Church, which he pastors.

Posted on the TV station's website: "The aspiring politician followed our reporter to her car saying, 'You better not make this about the IRS.' After our KTXS reporter got into her car, Beard aggressively yanked her door open and then he asked the reporter to 'please work with me.'"

On Thursday, Beard said he owed Hollingsworth an apology.

"I do apologize to Karina and I do apologize to my supporters that I have in any way caused them to rethink who I am," he told the Reporter-News on Thursday. "I have 31 years in this city and a great track record, and that one incident doesn't change the track record that's there.

"I am having to learn. I've had a preacher hat for 40 years and I've never worn a politician's hat, so I am having to learn my lesson the hard way. My biggest concern is that I disappoint people or that I disappoint those who are supporting me."

Regarding its endorsement of Beard for council, a representative of the Abilene Professional Fire Fighters Association said Thursday that their support is based solely on his views related to the Abilene Fire Department. As of this time, the endorsement stands, John Gallagher said.

What video?

Beard described the video allegation, first saying, "KTXS said it was a leaked video. It was not. It was a video that was in our archives. Their headline was they received a leaked video, like we were hiding this video. And there can be nothing further from the truth. This was archived and out there for anybody to see.

"And that's how she found it," he said of the woman who submitted it.

The video, he said, was shot "three, four, five weeks ago" during a service.

"We video archive all our sermons for our YouTube channel," Beard said. "There wasn't somebody in our church videoing me saying that. They really misled a lot of folks with that headline."

The woman who submitted the video to KTXS "did it on her own volition. We knew nothing about it," he said.

"It was a video at the end of a service. I said 'Hey, I know this guy running for Abilene City Council, a good-looking guy. Pick up a sign on the way out,'" Beard said. "She took that video and submitted it to the Texas Ethics Commission."

On the video, Beard says: "Let me say this, we're going to shout hallelujah on the way out. I hear there is some dude running for City Council and you might get his signs out in the foyer. I'm just sayin'. They're out there and if you don't have a sign in your yard, put one in your yard. I don't know who the dude is but I hear he's good lookin.'"

The TEC contacted Beard, informing him that a formal complaint had been lodged "and it would take five days to make a ruling on on that," he said. "I already knew it was outside their purview ... they don't deal with church and state issues. Then in two days, we get the response back that they don't have a leg to stand on, that there's nothing we did that broke the law. They exonerated me, basically."

Followup and confrontation

Learning the video also had been sent to KTXS, Beard said his next step was to contact the TV station with an update on the TEC ruling.

Previously, "They beat my door down until I met with them," he said. "The story didn't play well in my favor.

"I came back and said, 'Look, I could've been wiser and it probably wasn't something I should've said.'"

Beard said further explanation on "why and what we've done all kind of hit the editing floor. They showed (their report) six times."

Thus, he sought to follow up on being exonerated and contacted the reporter.

Beard and Hollingworth met Wednesday afternoon, he said, and he read her the TEC statement.

"Then she comes at me with a question about the IRS. 'Are you going to contact the IRS?' I said there's really no need to contact the IRS. If there is something wrong here, I'm sure they'll be reaching out to me."

According to the IRS: "Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one 'which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.'"

Beard previously said he sought legal counsel about sign placement and was assured he was not in violation of the IRS requirement.

"It all ended kinda of really weird and abruptly," he said of his meeting with the TV reporter. "I saw where she was going and she began to go out the door and I kind of followed her out. And I told her that 'I really would appreciate it if you would make this, Karina, about the TEC story and not about the IRS.' She walks out to her car and shuts her door.

"Then I make the mistake of opening her door. And I said, 'Please work with me.' She said, 'You need to step away from my car.' I think 'I will.' I was cooperative and I wasn't aggressive. I just said, 'Please work with me. That's all I'm asking.'"

"She said I said 'You better not make this about the IRS.' I did not say that. It's absolutely not true. She said I jerked her door open. I did not do that."

What Beard's opponent said

Beard is seeking the open Place 4 seat on the council, facing Brian Yates. The seat will become vacant in May; current Place 4 member Weldon Hurt is seeking to become mayor.

Contacted Thursday, Yates said he did not want to comment on issues involving Beard.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on anything that he's doing," Yates said. "I am trying to run a very positive campaign and I don't need to say anything."

Regarding Beard's campaign sign issue, Yates said, "His behavior may have consequences but probably won't. The IRS just doesn't go after churches. And that's fine. I think Abilene has more important things to focus on."

Beard background

Beard participated in Tuesday's City Council forum organized jointly by the Hispanic Leadership Council and Taylor County chapter of the NAACP. The issue of campaign violations did not arise.

The minister came into the public spotlight during the effort to pass an ordinance making Abilene a "sanctuary city for the unborn."

Last year, those pushing for that designation successfully brought a petition to the City Council, which then placed it before voters in Novembers. By a 53% margin, Abilene voters approved the ordinance.

Later that month, Beard announced his intention to run for City Council.

More: 'Sanctuary city' leader Scott Beard announces run for Abilene City Council Place 4

On Tuesday, he said he has been in Abilene for 31 years and the Beards had raised four children here. He has settled into the north-side church, a former Food Lion grocery store at 909 N. Willis St.

The church's roots go back to 1968, when it was home church. Beard has been pastor since February 1992. A growing church, it moved to North Third Street and North Mockingbird Lane. After nine years there, the church, still growing, relocated to the former grocery store.

Beard has been its pastor for 31 years and, he said, in the ministry for more than 40 years.

"There are folks out there that believe a pastor should stay behind his pulpit and not sit in a position of city leadership," he said during his introduction Tuesday. "I would say I am uniquely qualified for the position."

He detailed growing his church from 50 to 800 active members, overseeing a large budget and a staff of almost two dozen. He had led capital campaigns for buildings.

He believes leading a volunteer group for more than 40 years, is a plus.

Beard has a business degree from Texas Tech, he said.

"I believe, at some level, that prepares me for the job," Beard said. "I believe I can lead at that level, a level that will inspire people."

He was the first answer a question Tuesday about the city's public library - content, how it is managed and parents' role.

"Our city is founded on Judeo-Christian principles," he said. "My heart is to see that the conservative moral foundation of our city stays in place. Certainly, there are those who legislative immorality. I hear a lot, 'Well, you can't legislate morality. But guess what? There are lot of folks legislating immorality to the point where our library needs leadership, and the City Council needs to give it leadership.

"Folks, you don't want to read these books. They are pornographic material. When the city library defends that and says a parent needs to be the one that makes the call, I agree."

But other steps must be taken, and some have, he said.

"But we still have books, folks, that are still in the reach of children and young teenagers. These books are absolutely horrific. Let's get them in the adult section that has video surveillance."

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene council candidate Scott Beard responds to video, encounter with TV reporter