𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗖 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗫𝗧𝗢𝗡, 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗚 𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗧

 by Mariza Mendoza, SBG San Antonio Staff Report, August 27, 2024

SAN ANTONIO - The Latino Civil Rights Group (LULAC) wants a federal investigation into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Members say his office conducted raids at the homes of LULAC volunteers looking for evidence of vote harvesting and that these raids were unethical and illegal.

Those targeted in the raid by the attorney general’s office live in quiet communities. Many are elderly election volunteers who are community leaders.

”I don’t do anything illegal. I follow the rules of the elections office and I have never done anything illegal," says Lidia Martinez, a target of one of the raids.

87-year-old Martinez is a 35-year LULAC member. She says she has never directed voters to vote a certain way or worked on behalf of anyone. She felt humiliated when nine officers from the AG’s office and Texas Rangers raided her San Antonio home and questioned her for hours. They took her cell phone, laptop, and blank voter cards.

“At one point they had me outside in front of all my neighbors while they searched the living room,” says Martinez.

Last week, Martinez shared her story exclusively with us and wanted her identity hidden. On Monday, she was among several LULAC leaders and volunteers targeted by the AG’s office for alleged voter fraud. She shared her story, demanding the US Justice Department investigate.

“It was very embarrassing, very intimidating, harassment. They searched everything in my house,” says Martinez.

Senator Roland Guttierez added, “This guy's actions is scaring people in Frio County from even voting. That is their tactic. That is their intent and that is what they’re trying to do."

Senator Guttierez said when Paxton was being investigated for securities fraud, law enforcement never threatened him with weapons to get inside his home or office.

"Nobody pointed a gun at him and yet he’s pointing a gun and intimidating our abuelitas,” says Sen. Guttierez.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Governor Greg Abbott Suppress Hispanic Vote through Cheating, Intimidation

The US Census Bureau says in Texas there are just over 30 million people and about 12 million are Hispanics. That’s roughly a third of the eligible voter population.

"I was born here and here I am and old woman helping seniors and veterans here. I am in San Antonio being harassed by these people why," says Martinez.

According to Martinez, the officers said they came because she had filled out a report saying that older residents were not getting mail ballots and were looking for voter cards residents had filled out that might have been stashed in her house.

Ken Paxton's Election Integrity Unit Investigates

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Election Integrity Unit is leading the investigation into these allegations of ballot harvesting.

The scope of the unit's work and authority has dramatically changed over the last couple of years.

In 2022, for example, The Texas Court of Appeals held that Paxton had to get permission from local prosecutors before investigating and pursuing charges for election related crimes.

Paxton, in this most recent string of warrants, did get a referral from 81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Louis, seeking the attorney general's help investigating allegations of vote harvesting and election fraud.

State lawmakers harshened punishments for election-related crimes back in 2021.

A series of bills made it a State Jail Felony to lie while registering to vote, requires the secretary of state to conduct random audits of elections every two years, banned the unsolicited sending of mail-in ballot applications, and requires an i-d for mail in ballots.

The bills also criminalized “Ballot Harvesting,” or collecting people's ballots to turn in to authorized locations, as opposed to the voter mailing them themselves,

The win Paxton last touted was the June 2022 conviction of Victoria resident Monica Mendez, who pled guilty to 26 felony counts of voter fraud; which included assisting a voter to submit a ballot by mail and unlawfully possessing mail-in ballots.

So far, no one has been criminally charged in connection with this local investigation. Search warrants were also filed under seal.

Abbott Announces Over One Million Voters Removed from Voter Roll

On Monday, Governor Greg Abbott announced that Texas has removed more than a million people from the voter roll since Senate Bill 1 was signed into law three years ago.

The bill elevated "lying while registering to vote" to a State Jail Felony, it criminalized “Ballot Harvesting,” and required the Secretary of State to conduct randomized audits of elections every two years.

It also required ID's for mail-in ballots and banned unsolicited ma mail-in ballot applications.