This article originally appeared here, at fairfaxtimes.com.

Two Herndon Town Council members face allegations of ethics violations related to their involvement in a Juneteenth celebration and concerns over partisan influence in local elections. 

Councilmember Pradip Dhakal and Cesar del Aguila, both seeking reelection for the upcoming Herndon Town Council election, are accused of personally sponsoring the Juneteenth celebration. The act raised concerns about whether they used their public offices for personal gain as it potentially violated Section 2.5 of the town’s Code of Ethics. 

Further controversy surrounds Dhakal’s recent endorsement by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, which led to his name being prominently displayed on a sample ballot—a benefit not afforded to his fellow Democrat, Kevin LeBlanc. This selective endorsement has sparked concerns among residents that party interests may be overriding the traditionally nonpartisan nature of Herndon’s local government. 

An anonymous source claimed these actions undermined the council’s integrity and called for greater accountability from elected officials.

In response to the accusations, del Aguila dismissed them as “bull puck.” He denied any claims of sponsoring the Juneteenth event for personal gain, saying the council has consistently prioritized the town’s best interests.

He explained that a primary caucus held by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee led to Dhakal winning the majority, which secured him the endorsement.

“As part of the primary process, the candidates agree, if they’re not successful, to withdraw their name and support the winner, just like every other primary,” del Aguila said. 

According to the data from Fairfax Democrats, Dhakal won with 56.93% of the vote, while LeBlanc received 43.07%. Both Dhakal and LeBlanc are listed as individuals in the mayor race, but they openly identify as Democrats.

“I am excited to see candidates running for our endorsement engage Democratic voters this summer,” said Fairfax Democrats Chairman Aaron Yohai in a statement on the caucus. “With our successful county-wide endorsement caucus for the school board race last year, we look forward to another endorsement vote that engages our Democratic base in the Town of Herndon.”

Amid allegations, del Aguila acknowledged making a financial contribution to the Juneteenth celebration but denied any claims of personal gain. He said his support was motivated by a desire to expose residents to various cultural events. Driven by a commitment to expanding Herndon’s multicultural initiatives, del Aguila has garnered support from residents advocating for a broader range of event offerings in the town.

“I just want everyone to know that I support multicultural events. I don’t expect to get anything,” del Aguila said. 

The Town Council voted to allocate a $15,000 taxpayer-funded donation for the Juneteenth celebration and placed the campaign logos of three council members—Dhakal, del Aguila, and Donielle M. Scherff, who is serving her first term and is not seeking reelection—on the event flier. The flier with Dhakal’s campaign logo also appears on his Facebook page.

By the time this story was published, Dehakal did not respond to an interview request. 

Barbara Glakas, a Herndon town resident and author, pointed out that the Town Council approved another taxpayer-funded donation for the Que Pasa Latino Festival, where del Aguila seems to have served as master of ceremonies.

Despite her full support for the Juneteenth celebration and other community-based events, Glakas is concerned about how the funding has been handled and the inclusion of some Town Council members’ campaign logos in event advertising.

“Even if council members make personal donations to an event if that event is funded with taxpayer funds, I believe it is inappropriate and unethical for them to use that event for any kind of campaigning,” Glakas said. 

In fact, the Community Cultural Festivals Policy Statement specifies that community-based events should not directly benefit any business or individual, and the town does not “promote or advocate political or religious events.”

Bill Campenni, a longtime resident of Herndon for over 50 years, has witnessed the internal conflicts among Democrats in the town. He worries that the political focus might have shifted toward party division.

Campenni said that using a holiday event for political purposes feels like “exploiting” the people in the organization hosting it.  

“I don’t know if we’re at that point yet,” Campenni recalled when the town ousted the entire council in 2006. “But I think people can reach a point where they say, ‘Get rid of them all. I don’t care if you’re fellow Democrats or whatever.’”