MIAMI – State Rep. Vicki Lopez is facing increased scrutiny as she campaigns to keep her seat as a state lawmaker. An investigative report from the nonprofit news organization The tributary raised potential ethical questions about Lopez and her support for school bus camera laws.

These are laws that benefit a company where his son works.

As of this report, a source told CBS News Miami that there are no pending complaints, investigations or charges against Lopez.

On Friday morning, Lopez told CBS News Miami that she denies using political influence to benefit her son or the company he works for, BusPatrol. This is the company that Miami-Dade County Public Schools partners with to force drivers who don’t legally stop for school buses.

“I think this is just another attempt by a reporter from Jacksonville to try to discredit BusPatrol, one and two myself,” Lopez said.

CBS News Miami saw Lopez greeting supporters at a campaign event in Coral Gables Friday morning. She is seeking re-election to represent Florida House District 113.

Lopez co-sponsored House Bill 741 in 2023. It allows school districts to use cameras to constrain drivers who ignore bus stop signals. A few months after the law was signed into law, his son, Donald Wolfe, was named vice president of government relations for BusPatrol, a company that equips school buses with technology to record vehicles violating the law.

“I’m talking about child safety,” Lopez said. “My son didn’t work for BusPatrol at the time, so I don’t know what it was about.”

BusPatrol, where his son works, partners with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

BusPatrol told CBS News Miami in response to our questions that it hired Lopez’s son months after reaching a deal with Miami-Dade Public Schools in August 2023.

“Donnie Wolfe started at Bus Patrol in October 2023 and remains with the company as vice president of government relations,” the BusPatrol spokesperson wrote. “It is important to emphasize that Donnie has never worked for the school board, county or school district. He has only worked for the City of Miami and was hired after the agreement with BusPatrol was approved.”

“Bus Patrol’s mission is to protect every child in the communities we serve as they travel to and from school,” the spokesperson said of the company’s mission. “Student safety is our top priority.”

During the following legislative session in 2024, Lopez voted in favor of a House bill allowing school districts to enter into agreements with private vendors to share traffic ticket revenue from bus cameras.

CBS News Miami asked Lopez, “Do you think you should have revealed that at this time your son works for this company?”

Lopez: “So, no. So the House rules and the statutes are very clear: the bill was not vendor specific; it was not region specific. I’m not there obliged.”

CBS News Miami called the Florida House Counsel’s office to confirm. They did not respond in time to this story.

“It’s a part-time job, everyone has, you know, a job,” Lopez said. “We vote on all kinds of industry bills. And imagine if we all had to have a voting conflict memorandum, no one would ever be able to vote on anything.”

The Tributary report also alleges that Lopez contacted a fellow lawmaker to help introduce his son to Duval school district officials.

“Frankly, I have other members who have asked me to help them with their children,” Lopez said. “I think it’s just part of being friends and colleagues and that’s what you do.”

CBS News Miami asked: “Have you done an introduction to Miami-Dade for your son between him and…”

Lopez said, “I didn’t need to do that. My son has his own career and he’s well known here in Miami.”

Lopez questions the timing of the report’s release, which is close to Election Day. She maintains she did nothing wrong.