DA's office mum on Zavaletta investigation

More than a month after the Cameron County District Attorney's office searched the Peter Zavaletta Law Firm for confidential information used in a political advertisement, an investigation into the incident continues.

The "district attorney has no update, however we can confirm that the investigation of this case is ongoing," said Jason Moody, spokesman for the district attorney's office. The investigation began in early March.

If someone is found responsible for distributing the information, which contained data about suspected perpetrators of child abuse, they could be charged with a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the circumstances, District Attorney Armando Villalobos said.

The confidential information belonged to the Cameron County Child Advocacy Center and was not for publication, Villalobos said in previous interviews.

A civil lawsuit filed in March accused former district attorney and advocacy center board member Yolanda De Leon of providing the information to Zavaletta that was used in the political advertisement against Villalobos.

Also named in the lawsuit are Zavaletta and Freedom Communications Inc., parent company of The Brownsville Herald and the Valley Morning Star, where the ads ran

Counsel for The Herald and the Star has defended the publication of the political ads as a proper exercise of First Amendments rights.

Villalobos previously confirmed that authorities are investigating board members for sharing information provided to them by his office, including records that contain complaints of child abuse or neglect.

Following Villalobos' win on March 4, his office executed a search warrant at Zavaletta's law firm in search of records used in the advertisement.

That day, Zavaletta signed a statement explaining that De Leon had provided the documents.

De Leon later resigned from the board.