Killeen — Several Killeen city council members and candidates are speaking out Monday night after they said another candidate is making up lies about them and trying to intimidate the way they vote.
The comments were all captured on camera by mayoral candidate Holly Teel and provided to Channel 6 News Reporter Emani Payne.
Teel said this all started when her and candidate Mellisa Brown said they wanted to look into certain organizations' finances and the way certain candidates were running their campaigns. That's when they say at large city council candidate Patsy Bracey advised them to stop meddling.
The pair claim Bracey told them they would be run out of town for some of their political views, but that they would be safe if they removed some of those views from their social media pages.
"If Mellisa took all the stuff down she won't get hurt?" Teel asked.
"I believe so. There's freedom of speech but that stops at the city of Killeen," Bracey in the recording said.
In a separate recording, Bracey references candidate Placidio Rivera, saying "He's illegal, everyone thinks he's illegal and he's just saying he's from Puerto Rico."
Rivera said it's upsetting.
"There were several things said about me such as I'm illegal, I'm a racist, I'm this and that. When you try to pit candidate against candidate and candidate against council member, it makes things difficult. We're trying to make the city a better place not trying to win at all costs," Rivera said.
In other recordings Bracey can be heard allegedly telling Teel and Brown that Councilwoman Shirley Fleming will use Councilman Gregory Johnson and Councilman Steve Harris to put an end to Brown's meddling if need be.
"Fleming isn't going to hurt me or Mellisa is she?" Teel said.
"No but she works through Greg and Steve, so she needs to back off because those boys don't mean nobody no good," Bracey in the recording said.
In response to that recorded comment. Fleming, Johnson and Harris all provided Channel 6 with statements.
"That is not true I would never do that. We all agree on some issues but I have never tried to influence them or vice versa because we know we're not supposed to do that," Fleming said.
"The statements made by City Council Candidate Patsy Bracey are untrue and completely false. While I respect the opinions of my colleagues on the council, they do not control how I vote. I take my orders directly form the citizens and taxpayers of Killeen," said Johnson.
"I'm not sure why Ms. Bracey said the things she has about us along with some of the other things she said. This position of city council person is not worth risking ones own character while trying to run down others," Harris said.
Things came to a head at Brown's town hall meeting when Brown and Teel tried confronting Bracey about her statements. After a few minutes of arguing Teel told Bracey she wasn't afraid of her anymore, then Bracey who was visibly upset left the meeting.
Teel and Brown said it is important to speak out and end this kind of behavior.
"I'm hoping to help kids stand up to their bully's. If I can stand up to an adult bully they can stand up to their bully," Teel said.
"I don't think anyone running for public office should threaten anyone else running for public office and I feel like I shouldn't have to change my campaign because of it," Brown said.
Teel and Brown say they want everything said in these recordings investigated by the Killeen Police Department or the DA's office.
We reached out to Bracey multiple times, but she refused to comment.
Early voting is from April 23 through May 1.
Election Day is May 5.