WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Stout’s campaign reported $4,338.14 in five transactions during March and April, including expenses involving wine, beer, cookies and a Mexican restaurant.
- Herrera’s campaign is using the spending records as an attack, though the filings do not establish improper or personal use.
- Stout apologized after criticizing Herrera for making fun of Nazis, prompting him to respond that he thought such mockery was good.
- The candidates are competing to replace former Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales in Texas’ sprawling 23rd Congressional District.
Cookies, liquor purchases and a debate blunder are fueling the closing stretch of the congressional contest between Democrat Katy Padilla Stout and Republican Brandon Herrera in Texas' 23rd Congressional District.
Stout's campaign reported expenditures totaling $4,338.14 through five transactions in March and April, according to spending details cited in an August RedState report and records attributed to the Federal Election Commission.
Those expenditures have become political ammunition for Herrera. His campaign website highlights a cookie purchase and accuses Stout of using money from donors to cover the treats.
Other reported transactions included $1,089.08 at Total Wine on April 21 and another $200.14 payment the following day. Both expenses were described in the transaction records as "BEER AND WINE."
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The campaign also reported paying Las Guitarras Cocina Mexicana $2,027.52 on April 27 and $346.40 on April 28, according to the spending details.
Stout told Fox News Digital that the disbursements "were for campaign and fundraising events which were attended by our supporters." The filings show the campaign reported the expenses, but they do not establish whether the purchases were improper, involved personal use, or covered events of any particular size.
Herrera's campaign has continued pressing the issue through an opposition website called The Real Katy Stout. The site also attacks Stout over her positions on immigration, taxes and other policy matters.
The spending dispute unfolded as the candidates competed for a seat covering one of the country's largest districts along the southern border. Their clash became even more combustible during a televised debate Tuesday in San Antonio hosted by WOAI/KABB.
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"He made millions of dollars after making jokes online, making fun of Nazis, making fun of all of these things that we know he does not need to be doing," Stout said during the heated exchange. Herrera replied, "And here I thought making fun of Nazis was a good thing."
After closing remarks, Stout apologized for her phrasing and attempted to clarify the accusation. "I apologize, I did misspeak," she said. "He chooses to goose-step on YouTube for clickbait and money so that he can promote that type of ideology. He chooses to shame women."
JUST IN: Morbidly obese congressional candidate Katy Padilla Stout, who was recently exposed for spending thousands in campaign donations on gourmet cookies, tacos, and liquor, was harpooned in her debate against Brandon Herrera yesterday. She was outraged because Brandon made fun of Nazis on his YouTube channel.
— Bad Hombre (@Badhombre) October 14, 2026
Stout later told Fox News Digital that "mocking Nazis is fine, and that is not what I objected to, nor is that what my opponent does." She argued that Herrera's online material went beyond mockery.
"I object to content that trivializes veteran suicide, rape, child murder, women’s bodies and the Holocaust, the type of content he churns out," Stout said. She directed people to HeReallySaidThat.com to hear what she called his "disgusting commentary."
Stout cited a video posted 5/24/22 that she said showed Herrera performing a goose step to "Erika" while touting an MP-40 machine gun. She also cited a 6/23/20 video in which she said he used the phrase "for the fatherland" before firing a Nazi-made StG 44 and called the experience religious.
"Calling it a joke doesn’t change what it is: giving a platform to Nazi symbols and weaponry for clicks and money," Stout said. She also argued that the joking defense was familiar among neo-Nazi and antisemitic content creators.
Stout said Herrera's content had received bipartisan condemnation, including from the Republican Jewish Coalition. She quoted the organization as calling Herrera "a goose-stepping extremist who pals around with online Nazis."
The debate also included disputes over gun rights, immigration, and the cost of living. Stout, a former teacher and child welfare attorney, has centered her campaign on affordability and corruption.
Herrera is a firearms manufacturer and online personality who uses "Let's Go Brandon" as his campaign slogan. His campaign has emphasized border law enforcement, tax reductions, and protections for the Second Amendment.
The candidates are seeking to replace former Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who resigned earlier this year after acknowledging an affair with a staffer. Texas' 23rd Congressional District runs from the San Antonio area toward El Paso and contains hundreds of miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Early voting begins Oct. 19, while Election Day is scheduled for Nov. 3. Herrera's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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