A Latino voting rights group calls for federal investigation into Texas voter fraud probe
A Latino voting rights group in Texas is calling for a federal investigation after volunteers reported that their homes were raided by state authorities as part of an investigation into voter fraud allegations by the state’s Republican attorney general.
No charges have been filed against any of the individuals targeted in the searches that took place last week in the San Antonio area. Attorney General Ken Paxton confirmed that his office had conducted the searches following allegations of election fraud and vote harvesting during the 2022 election.
Several volunteers, including an 80-year-old woman whose home was searched, expressed outrage outside the attorney general’s office in San Antonio. They claimed that agents seized phones, computers, and other personal items during the raids.
Roman Palomares, the national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, stated, “We feel like our votes are being suppressed. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
The investigation is being carried out by an Election Integrity Unit established by Paxton’s office. Despite requests for comment, Paxton’s office did not respond to inquiries. The federal Justice Department also declined to comment on the matter.
At least six individuals had their homes searched, including Manuel Medina, a political consultant in San Antonio, and Cecilia Castellano, a Democratic state House candidate. Lidia Martinez, an 80-year-old volunteer, recounted how officers searched her home and interrogated her about other members.
Despite the searches, voter fraud is rare and typically isolated. An Associated Press investigation of the 2020 presidential election found minimal instances of potential voter fraud out of millions of ballots cast.
