SAN ANTONIO – The League of United Latin American Citizens accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of oppression, harassment and intimidation after the homes of several Democrats were raided by his office last week.
During a news conference on Monday morning in San Antonio, LULAC officials condemned Paxton for the raids, which the attorney general said is an “ongoing election integrity investigation.”
LULAC National President Roman Palomares said that Paxton is using his office to “harass and intimidate Latino nonprofit organizations, Latino leaders and LULAC members” and to “suppress the Latino vote” and using his investigation “as a veil for voter intimidation.”
Palomares added that Paxton’s probe will create “a chilling effect that will stifle the Latino vote this election cycle. It is evident through his pattern of lawsuits, raids, searches and seizures that he is trying to keep Latinos from voting. LULAC will not stand idly by and allow our members to be targeted.”
In a news release, Paxton said that the Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit in 2022 received a referral from the 81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Louis regarding allegations of election fraud and vote harvesting that occurred during the 2022 elections.
A two-year investigation provided sufficient evidence to obtain the search warrants in furtherance of the ongoing investigation, a news release said.
“Secure elections are the cornerstone of our republic,” Texas Attorney General Paxton said. “We were glad to assist when the District Attorney referred this case to my office for investigation. We are completely committed to protecting the security of the ballot box and the integrity of every legal vote. This means ensuring accountability for anyone committing election crimes.”
One of the homes raided by Paxton’s unit was that of longtime LULAC member Lidia Martinez, who said nine armed officers rang her doorbell at 5 a.m. Tuesday, just hours after she had been released from a hospital for being treated for COVID-19.
Martinez, who helps people register to vote, said the officers didn’t allow her to change out of her nightgown, and at one point made her go outside, where Martinez said she felt humiliated.
She said that her appointment book and cellphone were seized and she had no choice but to buy another cellphone.
“I don’t want this happening to anyone else. They’re trying to stop us from registering, especially seniors. If I don’t go out there, and if their registration is expired, some of them are in wheelchairs. They don’t have a way of going to the election office and getting them,” she said.
Another raid was conducted at the home of Cecilia Castellano, the Democrat running to succeed state Rep. Tracy King, D-Uvalde. Castellano said that agents confiscated her phone as part of the search on Tuesday. Republicans see that seat as their best potential state House flip in November. Castellano’s opponent is former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin.
“As I stood there with my family, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of injustice. It was apparent that this was yet another attempt by Ken Paxton and his associates to harass and intimidate individuals of their own political gain. This is how the Republican Party works. They cause confusion, false allegations and wasteful spending of our tax dollars,” Castellano said.
McLaughlin called out Castellano, saying that she’s refusing to own up to her actions and is placing the blame on others.
“Cecilia Castellano is clearly focused on her own political agenda and saving her own hide instead of the issues that matter to Texans,” McLaughlin said in a news release. “She has immediately resorted to playing political games, pointing fingers, and shifting blame to cover up the fact that she and her campaign staff are under investigation for voter fraud. Cecilia needs to come forward, take responsibility and tell the truth. Our citizens deserve at least that much, but ultimately, they deserve a representative who will fight to make your vote count, not someone who undermines it with lies and manipulation.”
LULAC intends to announce a series of actions, including asking the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate Paxton and his agents for abuse of the elderly and children and violations of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, among other violations.
KSAT reached out to Paxton’s office for comment but has yet to hear from the state agency.
