Nogales Mayor Octavio Garcia-Von Borstel challenged the credibility of a Tucson TV station for Thursday’s airing of allegations that he used a city credit card to charge a pornographic movie.

On Friday, the mayor went on radio stations in Ambos Nogales denouncing the segment and blaming his political rivals for smearing him.

A press release issued by Ofelia McCollough, the city’s information specialist, said, “On Thursday, KGUN 9 reported that the mayor … used the city credit card to order a pay-per-view movie while staying at a hotel in Phoenix.

“Mayor Garcia-Von Borstel strenuously refutes their claim and assures the community that the allegation is false. Furthermore, the hotel has since made the correction to the City of Nogales account and provided an accurate billing statement. This document was submitted to KGUN 9 prior to their broadcast.”

KGUN has been investigating the mayor’s spending of city taxpayers’ dollars.

For example, the station is reviewing records that, as previously reported by the Nogales International, show that in the 15 months from June 2008 through September 2009 Garcia-Von Borstel charged $19,730. About 57 percent or nearly $11,200 was spent on restaurants. The mayor failed to produce receipts for about $6,000 of the total spent.

The Nogales International e-mailed McCollough’s press release to Forest Carr, KGUN news director for comment.

KGUN then posted this response on its Web site:

“The ‘dirty movie’ charge was only a small part of KGUN's 9 On Your Side Investigation. Today's press release did not address the issues of how and why the mayor ran up thousands of dollars of improperly documented credit card charges at hotels and restaurants from Chicago to Mexico City.”

Garcia-Von Borstel and City Manager Jaime Fontes have avoided talking to KGUN. However, on Wednesday they called a KVOA 4 television reporter for an exclusive interview at city hall. In that report, the mayor told KVOA, "I did not order any movie whatsoever, as a matter of fact. When I did realize that the expenditure had been applied to my invoice, I denied to sign the invoice."

The mayor gave no explanation for why he didn't have that charge removed 18 months ago when he said he noticed it.

The adjustment to the credit card was made on Monday, Feb. 1, the same day KGUN reporter Tammy Vo received a letter from the mayor’s personal attorney demanding a retraction and that the station stop running promotional spots or teasers for the segment that was aired three days later.

“We stand by our reporting,” Carr told the Nogales International. “There is nothing to retract and nothing to correct.”

The Channel 9 investigation, which aired Thursday night, showed that a charge for $16.99 appeared on the bill for the mayor's stay at the Mondrian Hotel in Scottsdale on Aug. 13, 2008.

On its Web site, KGUN said, “Multiple sources at the hotel (said) that the charge was for an adult movie.

“Prior to the report, Mayor Garcia-Von Borstel canceled an interview with KGUN 9 and has been ducking our camera ever since.

But on Monday, after seeing a promo for the investigation … the mayor had his attorney send KGUN 9 a letter demanding a correction and retraction.

“The version of the mayor's story contained in that letter is not exactly the same as the version presented in today's press release. On Monday, the mayor's attorney claimed that the hotel had removed the charge after admitting that it was a mistake and … that the hotel was at fault. The mayor wrote city council on Monday making the same claim.

“The claim is not true. Hotel management assured KGUN 9 on Monday that it routinely removes disputed movie charges when a customer demands it, but that the hotel does not admit a mistake was made or that, if one was made, that the hotel made it.”

Attempts by the Nogales International to contact the hotel’s general manager were unsuccessful by press time.

Meantime, the station, undeterred by the mayor’s denials, aired a follow-up segment on Friday. They invited Garcia-Von Borstel and Fontes to an interview. The following are some of the questions they would ask:

To Garcia Von-Borstel –

If your office is so transparent, why aren't you willing to explain the charges on your city credit card?

How do you reconcile the statement that your office has complied with all the rules and regulations with the fact that so many of your expenditures did not follow city purchasing rules, were not properly documented, and were not explained?

Do you expect other city employees to follow city purchasing rules, or can they ignore them, too?

When the Mondrian Hotel charged you for an adult movie, if this was so obviously a mistake that you refused to sign the receipt, why didn't you ask for a refund at that time so that taxpayers would not be on the hook for a pornographic movie?

At a time when many of your constituents are unemployed or underemployed and having a hard time providing basic necessities for themselves, how do you justify living it up on filet mignon, racks of lamb, $17 martinis and in expensive hotel suites on the taxpayers' dime?

To City Manager Jaime Fontes –

How, as city manager, do you defend allowing the mayor to simply ignore procedures for documenting credit card purchases?

How much more money did you plan to let the mayor spend before saying something?

Do you show the same level of leniency toward other city employees, or does the mayor receive special treatment?