Texas Election Official Faces Criminal Charges over Voting Irregularities and Timesheet Fraud in Harris County

Harris County Election Official Slapped with Criminal Charges Following Texas Rangers Investigation

In a shocking development that has roiled the political landscape in Harris County, an election official is facing criminal charges after a lengthy investigation led by the Texas Rangers. The charges are related to a series of alleged voting irregularities in the 2022 Harris County election.

Clerk Charged with Timesheet Fraud

The individual in question, a clerk who worked in the election administrator’s office, stands accused of time card fraud. The charges stem from an allegation that the clerk was gainfully employed in a second full-time role for a period of 15 months while also working for the county.

Charges include Theft and Tampering with Government Documents

District Attorney Kim Ogg, speaking at a press conference, stated that the official will face charges of theft, along with five counts of tampering with government documents. This is in connection with the extensive investigation launched by the Texas Rangers into the 2022 Harris County Election.

Allegations Brought Forward by State Leaders

This investigation, and the ensuing charges, are reported to be the direct result of allegations of misconduct brought forward by state leaders, Governor Greg Abbott among them. The 2022 election endured significant scrutiny due to issues with its handling and a perceived rampant plague of problems that beset the entire process.

A 54-Page Report Outlined Problems with the Election

Among the issues, several problems were witnessed during the early voting segment. The Harris County Elections Administration released a 54-page report in the aftermath of the midterm elections, delineating a vast range of issues that were encountered during early voting, Election Day, and the days following Election Day.

The report laid out a host of problems that included error messages popping up on voting machines, paper jams that interfered with the ballot process, and the United States Postal Service being blamed for problems with mail-in ballots. An acute shortage of supplies also proved problematic, with a reported 68 Election Day voting locations running out of paper.

No Evidence of Electoral Interference

The DA made it a point to mention that there was no evidence to suggest that the clerk had any intention of interfering with the election. The clerk’s election day duties mainly encompassed the allocation of paper to the various polling locations.

“A Failure”

In her statement, Ogg declared that the actions of the clerk constituted “a failure”. She further added, “The result is that he didn’t do his job for Harris County. Can’t do two full-time jobs and give them the credit and the attention that they need.”

Continuing Investigation Into the 2022 Election

The discovery of the timesheet fraud came about during the ongoing investigation into the 2022 election. The previous year saw a spate of lawsuits challenging the results of the election. An audit conducted by the Texas Secretary of State’s Office substantiated the existence of “multiple failures” which could have hampered some voters from casting their votes. However, it fell short of implying that these failures might have significantly affected the outcome of any race.

In the wake of these events, state legislators passed a bill that abolished the position of the county elections administrator. The county clerk is now vested with that responsibility.