Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced the indictments and arrests of nine individuals, among them public officials, on charges connected to an alleged vote harvesting operation in Frio County. Paxton, in a forthright declaration, said, "Let me be crystal clear: the integrity of our elections is the bedrock of our democratic process, and any elected official trying to cheat the system will have to answer for it." His commitment to going after election fraud was evident as he stressed, "Under my watch, attempts to rig elections and silence the will of the voters will be met with the full force of the law," according to a statement released by the Texas Attorney General.
The case unfolded as Paxton's Criminal Investigation Division carried out multiple search warrants across Frio, Atascosa, and Bexar Counties in August of last year, as part of an investigation that sprouted from credible allegations surfacing over several years. Then, earlier this May, a Frio County grand jury indicted six individuals, including local public functionaries, for multiple counts of Vote Harvesting. Subsequent to these actions, more individuals connected to the scheme were presented to the grand jury by Frio County District Attorney Audrey Louis in collaboration with the Attorney General's Election Integrity Unit, which continues to actively pursue the investigation.
Those indicted include Chief of Staff to Texas State Rep Elizabeth Campos, Manuel Medina; former candidate for Texas State Rep. District 80, Cecilia Castellano; Frio County Commissioner Pct. 3, Raul Carrizales; former Dilley Mayor, MaryAnn Obregon; former Dilley City Council, Inelda Rodriguez; former candidate for Pearsall City Council, Davina Trevino; Pearsall ISD Board Trustee, Mari Benavides; and two private citizens, Susie Carrizales and Rachel Leal. The charges range from one to three counts of Vote Harvesting per individual. Some of the suspects have since turned themselves in and have been processed.
Paxton's office stated that the Election Integrity Unit will continue its investigation in coordination with the Frio County District Attorney’s Office. While specific details of the alleged vote harvesting scheme have not been released, officials emphasized their commitment to addressing any actions that may compromise electoral integrity in the state.
