Latest news with #FrioCounty
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Officials in rural Texas are accused of paying campaign worker who told elderly people how to vote: docs
Six people, including multiple public officials, have been arrested and charged as part of a long-running investigation into an alleged 'vote harvesting' scheme in a rural Texas county against vulnerable seniors during 2022 and 2023 elections. 'The people of Texas deserve fair and honest elections, not backroom deals and political insiders rigging the system,' Texas Attorney General Paxton said in a statement Wednesday announcing the arrests. 'Elected officials who think they can cheat to stay in power will be held accountable. No one is above the law.' The accused include Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho; former Frio County elections administrator Carlos Segura; Pearsall City Council members Ramiro Trevino and Racheal Garza; Pearsall school district trustee Adriann Ramirez; and campaign worker Rosa Rodriguez. Candidates for local office allegedly paid a campaign worker named Cheryl Denise Castillo to collect ballots from voters at senior citizens complexes, according to court documents obtained by The Washington Post. Castillo, who died last year, allegedly prepared ballots for individuals, influenced their voting choices, and assisted individuals who were ineligible for such support under state voting law. In one December 2023 instance, the campaign worker allegedly told a candidate for sheriff she wouldn't help voters who supported her clients' rivals. In another instance a few months later, Castillo allegedly told a fellow campaign worker 'that 'honest to God' if you do not go after the elderly disabled, then you will lose your election,' according to the documents. Investigators reportedly recovered a text message to Castillo during the time of the alleged scheme that read, 'So that means you have stolen ballots from the elderly in elections LMFAO HARD.' 'Several residents confirmed that Castillo picked up their ballots, and in some instances advised them how they should vote their ballot,' police wrote in a search warrant, adding that Castillo had been paid for her work. Segura, the former county elections administrator, called the allegations 'ridiculous' in an interview with the Post. The Independent has contacted Camacho and Ramirez for comment, and was unable to reach Rodriguez. In August 2024, investigators carried out search warrants related to the case in Frio, Atascosa, and Bexar counties, with a grand jury arriving at charges on May 1 of this year. The investigation dates back to 2022, when a county judge candidate running against Camacho filed a complaint. Mary Moore told investigators she got a tip that Camacho hired Castillo to collect mail ballots for her, and that upon inspecting the ballots, the campaign worker filled out several without notifying officials she assisted anyone. Moore later went to Pine Hill Estates II, a nursing home, and allegedly captured video of Camacho, Rodriguez, Ramirez, Castillo walking out of the home with 'what appeared to be carrier envelopes,' according to an affidavit obtained by KSAT. 'Several residents confirmed that Castillo picked up their ballot by mail, and in some instances advised them how they should vote their ballot,' per court records obtained by the outlet. Records obtained by Texas Scorecard reportedly show a convoluted web of payments for the alleged scheme, in which Rodriguez allegedly paid Camacho in May 2022 and May 2023 for vote-harvesting services. The funds then allegedly went to Ramirez, who made three Cash App payments in April 2023 to Castillo, according to the outlet. The six individuals, who face charges ranging from vote harvesting to tampering with evidence, could face up to 10 years in prison with fines up to $10,000. All suspects turned themselves in, and at least five have been released on bond. An arraignment is scheduled for May 23. The case comes as both state and national Republicans seek to crack down on alleged vulnerabilities in election security, a cause many Democrats dismiss as tackling a largely non-existent issue in an effort to disenfranchise certain voters. The indictment in the vote harvesting case in Texas comes just months after a September 2024 ruling from U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, who found that the state's SB1 voter security law was vague, overly broad, and violates freedom of speech and the 14th Amendment, Texas Public Radio reports. The decision also found there's little evidence of illegal 'vote harvesting.' The decision temporarily paused Paxton's investigation, but he appealed, allowing the probe to move forward.
The Independent
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Officials in rural Texas are accused of paying campaign worker who told elderly people how to vote: docs
Six people, including multiple public officials, have been arrested and charged as part of a long-running investigation into an alleged 'vote harvesting' scheme in a rural Texas county against vulnerable seniors during 2022 and 2023 elections. 'The people of Texas deserve fair and honest elections, not backroom deals and political insiders rigging the system,' Texas Attorney General Paxton said in a statement Wednesday announcing the arrests. 'Elected officials who think they can cheat to stay in power will be held accountable. No one is above the law.' The accused include Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho; former Frio County elections administrator Carlos Segura; Pearsall City Council members Ramiro Trevino and Racheal Garza; Pearsall school district trustee Adriann Ramirez; and campaign worker Rosa Rodriguez. Candidates for local office allegedly paid a campaign worker named Cheryl Denise Castillo to collect ballots from voters at senior citizens complexes, according to court documents obtained by The Washington Post. Castillo, who died last year, allegedly prepared ballots for individuals, influenced their voting choices, and assisted individuals who were ineligible for such support under state voting law. In one December 2023 instance, the campaign worker allegedly told a candidate for sheriff she wouldn't help voters who supported her clients' rivals. In another instance a few months later, Castillo allegedly told a fellow campaign worker 'that 'honest to God' if you do not go after the elderly disabled, then you will lose your election,' according to the documents. Investigators reportedly recovered a text message to Castillo during the time of the alleged scheme that read, 'So that means you have stolen ballots from the elderly in elections LMFAO HARD.' 'Several residents confirmed that Castillo picked up their ballots, and in some instances advised them how they should vote their ballot,' police wrote in a search warrant, adding that Castillo had been paid for her work. Segura, the former county elections administrator, called the allegations 'ridiculous' in an interview with the Post. The Independent has contacted Camacho and Ramirez for comment, and was unable to reach Rodriguez. In August 2024, investigators carried out search warrants related to the case in Frio, Atascosa, and Bexar counties, with a grand jury arriving at charges on May 1 of this year. The investigation dates back to 2022, when a county judge candidate running against Camacho filed a complaint. Mary Moore told investigators she got a tip that Camacho hired Castillo to collect mail ballots for her, and that upon inspecting the ballots, the campaign worker filled out several without notifying officials she assisted anyone. Moore later went to Pine Hill Estates II, a nursing home, and allegedly captured video of Camacho, Rodriguez, Ramirez, Castillo walking out of the home with 'what appeared to be carrier envelopes,' according to an affidavit obtained by KSAT. 'Several residents confirmed that Castillo picked up their ballot by mail, and in some instances advised them how they should vote their ballot,' per court records obtained by the outlet. Records obtained by Texas Scorecard reportedly show a convoluted web of payments for the alleged scheme, in which Rodriguez allegedly paid Camacho in May 2022 and May 2023 for vote-harvesting services. The funds then allegedly went to Ramirez, who made three Cash App payments in April 2023 to Castillo, according to the outlet. The six individuals, who face charges ranging from vote harvesting to tampering with evidence, could face up to 10 years in prison with fines up to $10,000. All suspects turned themselves in, and at least five have been released on bond. An arraignment is scheduled for May 23. The case comes as both state and national Republicans seek to crack down on alleged vulnerabilities in election security, a cause many Democrats dismiss as tackling a largely non-existent in an effort to disenfranchise certain voters. The indictment in the vote harvesting case in Texas comes just months after a September 2024 ruling from U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, who found that the state's SB1 voter security law was vague, overly broad, and violates freedom of speech and the 14th Amendment, Texas Public Radio reports. The decision also found there's little evidence of illegal 'vote harvesting.' The decision temporarily paused Paxton's investigation, but he appealed, allowing the probe to move forward.
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Texas court documents allege payments in ‘vote harvesting' probe
Officials in a rural Texas county who were charged with 'vote harvesting' this week were accused of paying a campaign worker who told elderly residents how to vote while assisting them with their ballots in 2022 and 2023, according to court documents released this week. The indictments and applications for search warrants in Frio County, located near San Antonio, were released a day after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced the charges against six people related to what he described as a 'vote harvesting' operation.
Washington Post
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
6 people are charged in a Texas elections investigation involving 'vote harvesting'
AUSTIN, Texas — Six people in a rural Texas county, including two City Council members and a school board trustee, have been indicted in a widening elections investigation led by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, bringing felony charges to a case that Latino rights activists have criticized as politically driven. The top executive in Frio County, home to about 18,000 residents, a county elections worker and a local resident were also among those indicted on May 1, Paxton said Wednesday. The charges expand an investigation that included raids last year on the homes of Latino campaign volunteers near San Antonio, including an 87-year-old woman, although none of them have been indicted.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
6 people are charged in a Texas elections investigation involving 'vote harvesting'
Six people in a rural Texas county, including two City Council members and a school board trustee, have been indicted in a widening elections investigation led by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, bringing felony charges to a case that Latino rights activists have criticized as politically driven. The top executive in Frio County, home to about 18,000 residents, a county elections worker and a local resident were also among those indicted on May 1, Paxton said Wednesday. The charges expand an investigation that included raids last year on the homes of Latino campaign volunteers near San Antonio, including an 87-year-old woman, although none of them have been indicted. Most of the six are charged with what is known in Texas as vote harvesting, a felony that often involves payment for collecting and dropping off other people's absentee ballots. Several of the officials indicted in Frio County are accused of using Cash App to pay for vote harvesting services. 'The people of Texas deserve fair and honest elections, not backroom deals and political insiders rigging the system. Elected officials who think they can cheat to stay in power will be held accountable,' Paxton said in a statement. The League of United Latin American Citizens last year called for a federal investigation into Texas authorities after its members' homes were raided. No charges have been filed against any targets of those searches, according to spokesperson David Cruz, and the organization said it had not made decisions on whether to represent those who were indicted. Gabriel Rosales, the Texas director for LULAC, called the charges unsubstantiated. 'This is voter suppression 101,' he said. 'There's no vote harvesting going on. There's nobody creating these ballots. That's a lie.' The vote harvesting charges are third-degree felonies and carry up to 10 years in prison. Those accused are Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, the county's top official; Pearsall City Council members Ramiro Trevino and Racheal Garza; Pearsall ISD Trustee Adriann Ramirez; and Frio County resident Rosa Rodriguez. Another official, former Frio County Elections Administrator Carlos Segura, is charged with tampering with evidence. 'The only word I have right now is that it's ridiculous,' Segura said, and that he was advised by his lawyer not to speak further. Camacho, Trevino, Garza and Ramirez did not immediately respond to phone calls or an email requesting comment. A number could not be found for Rodriguez. The indictments were the latest development in an investigation that Paxton started after the 2020 election to root out voter fraud, which is rare and typically occurs in isolated instances. Texas has tightened its voter laws in recent years and increased penalties that Democrats and opponents say are attempts to suppress turnout among Black and Latino voters. Investigators with the Texas Attorney General's Office were first told of allegations of vote harvesting by Mary Moore, who was Camacho's opponent in the March 2022 Democratic primary for county judge, according to search warrant affidavits. Moore accused Camacho of hiring a woman who had been collecting mail ballots for candidates in Frio County for nearly three decades. Moore alleged that the woman charged candidates anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 to collect mail ballots, applications for ballot by mail and to even drive people to vote curbside, according to the affidavit. Investigators allege that the vote harvesting scheme targeted elderly people at a Pearsall subdivision. Camacho and Ramirez, who were identified in court documents as sisters, allegedly took part in an effort in October 2022 to gather mail-in ballots from residents there, according to the affidavit. Investigators allege the woman who was Camacho's main vote harvester hid ballots underneath her shirt and used different vehicles 'to throw off investigators.' Segura would provide the woman with information on when ballots were mailed and delivered, investigators allege. A federal appeals court last year upheld the state's law that tightened voter restrictions and increased penalties for vote harvesting. ___
