According to a lawsuit filed with the Texas Supreme Court Monday, Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden’s political director in Texas has been accused of ballot harvesting in Harris County. Harris County is Texas’ most populous county; Houston is its and the state’s largest city.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed by conservative activist Dr. Steven Hotze and several others, two investigators accuse Dallas Jones and several prominent Democrat officeholders of organizing a ballot harvesting scheme. Jones was named Joe Biden’s political director in Texas in late August with stories appearing in media earlier in September.
The two investigators, a former FBI investigator and a former Houston police captain, have filed sworn affidavits attesting to evidence including video of the ballot harvesting scheme. The affidavits were filed in conjunction with the lawsuit which Dr. Hotze and several Republican officeholders filed contesting Gov. Greg Abbott’s extension of early voting in the state.
The allegations of organized ballot harvesting first appeared in National File, but the Texas Tribune also reported them deep in this story about the over-arching lawsuit. Holly Hansen at The Texan is also covering the story.
According to the testimony, ballot harvesters collect absentee ballots from “the elderly in nursing homes, from the homeless, and from unsuspecting residences’ mailboxes.” They then complete the ballots and forge the signature of the voter.
Witnesses also told the investigator that two employees in the Harris County Clerk’s office are facilitating the operation and working to mix the forged ballots in with legally submitted ballots.
The affidavit also alleges that previous county Clerk Diane Trautman, who abruptly resigned in May, was aware of the illegal activities and investigation and told Ellis she was concerned about being arrested for election fraud.
More at the link.
In addition to naming Mr. Jones, the explosive accusation also names state Sen. Borris Miles (D-SD13) and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis (D-Precinct 1). Other state Democrat operatives are also named.
The two investigators are former Houston police captain Mark A. Aguirre, whose sworn statement is here, and former FBI investigator Charles F. Marler, whose sworn statement is here. Both are currently private investigators.
The accusation comes quick on the heels of a major election fraud investigation in Gregg County, in northeast Texas. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the investigation late last week.
In that case, four Democrats face over 100 felony charges of election fraud connected to the 2018 Democratic primary in the county. The accused in that case include Gregg County Precinct 4 Commissioner Shannon Brown and three others, all Democrats. Brown faces 23 felony charges according to the Longview News-Journal. His alleged co-conspirators are Charles Burns, facing 8 felonies, DeWayne Ward, facing 6 felonies, and Marlena Jackson, facing 97 felonies. Brown and the other three were arrested in the case last week.
Ballot harvesting is illegal and has long been an issue in Texas, to the point that prior to the COVID pandemic even some Democrats called for an end to mail-in voting in Texas.
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