Scott Beard is a minister and a city council candidate for Abilene, Texas. He is running for the open Place 4 seat in the May 6 election. He is also a controversial figure who confronted a TV reporter who questioned his campaign tactics. Beard is the pastor of Fountaingate Fellowship Church, where he allegedly promoted his campaign during a church service. A video of him asking his congregation to vote for him and to spread the word about his candidacy was shared by KTXS News, who claimed it was a leaked video. Beard denied that it was leaked and said it was in the church's archives. The video raised questions about whether Beard violated the tax code 501c3, which prohibits churches and other nonprofit organizations from participating in political campaigns. Beard said he contacted the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) and received a letter stating that his complaint did not comply with the legal requirements for a sworn complaint. He said he was exonerated by the TEC and did not need to reach out to the IRS. However, the TEC's executive director J.R. Johnson told KTXS News that the commission had no jurisdiction over federal tax laws and that it only dealt with state laws related to campaign finance, lobby registration, and political advertising. He also said that the letter Beard received was not an exoneration but a rejection of an incomplete complaint. Beard also had a tense encounter with KTXS reporter Karina Hollingworth, who was doing a story on his campaign signs being posted on his church campus. According to KTXS News, Beard followed Hollingworth to her car and said, "You better not make this about the IRS." He then allegedly yanked her door open and asked her to "please work with me." Hollingworth said she felt threatened by Beard's actions and that he violated her personal space. She said she was just doing her job as a journalist and that she had no agenda against him. Beard later apologized to Hollingworth and his supporters and said he was learning how to wear a politician's hat. He said he had a great track record in Abilene for 31 years and that one incident did not change who he was. Beard is known for leading a campaign to make Abilene a sanctuary city for the unborn, which failed to pass in 2019. He said he wanted to stand up for righteousness and bring positive change to Abilene. He has been endorsed by the Abilene Professional Fire Fighters Association, who said their support was based solely on his views related to the Abilene Fire Department. Beard is running against former Abilene Aero director Stephen Hunt and retired Air Force veteran Anthony Jojola for Place 4 on the City Council. The election will be held on May 6.