Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a comprehensive investigation into allegations that nonprofit organizations are unlawfully registering noncitizens to vote in Texas.
Investigators from the Texas Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit have been actively conducting undercover operations to identify potential voter registration of noncitizens across the state.
This is the same unit that arrested and booked Monica Mendez into the Victoria County Jail on June 23, 2021, after a Victoria County Grand Jury returned an indictment against her on multiple counts of election fraud: 7 counts of Illegal Voting (a 2nd Degree Felony), 8 counts of Unlawfully Assisting Voter Voting Ballot by Mail (a 3rd Degree Felony), 8 counts of Unlawful Possession of Ballot (a State Jail Felony), and 8 counts of Election Fraud (a State Jail Felony).
The Texas Secretary of State referred the case to the Office of the Attorney General after allegations of illegal voting and other election code violations arose out of the 2018 Bloomington Water District Election.
Early findings from these operations have already confirmed that various nonprofit organizations have set up booths outside Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Driver License offices, offering to assist individuals with voter registration.
In a statement Wednesday, Attorney General Paxton said, “Texans are deeply troubled by the possibility that organizations purporting to assist with voter registration are illegally registering noncitizens to vote in our elections. If eligible citizens can legally register to vote when conducting their business at a DPS office, why would they need a second opportunity to register with a booth outside?”
He added, “My office is investigating every credible report we receive regarding potential criminal activity that could compromise the integrity of our elections. The Biden-Harris Administration has intentionally flooded our country with illegal aliens, and without proper safeguards, foreign nationals can illegally influence elections at the local, state, and national level. It is a crime to vote—or to register to vote—if you are not a United States Citizen. Any wrongdoing will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the press release, in Texas, lying about citizenship when registering to vote—or assisting someone else in doing so—is a serious crime. Those found guilty can face up to two years in state jail and fines reaching $10,000. Moreover, voting illegally as a noncitizen or aiding a noncitizen in voting can result in sentences of up to 20 years in prison, along with hefty fines.
In 2021, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that 500 election fraud cases still needed to be heard in court.
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