LULAC alleges Ken Paxton's raids on Hispanic homes are attempts to suppress Latino vote
DALLAS - The League of United Latin American Citizens says it will formally ask the Justice Department to investigate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's raids on the homes of Hispanics as part of an election integrity investigation.
During a San Antonio news conference, LULAC says the search warrants being executed are an attempt to suppress the Latino vote.
Lydia Martinez is one of a half-dozen or so in South Texas who were served with search warrants last week by investigators in the attorney general's office looking for proof of election wrongdoing in the 2022 elections in Bexar, Frio and Atascosa counties.
"I went to the door, and nine officers from the attorney general's office walked in, and they had a search warrant," she recalled.
It’s why LULAC says it will formally ask the Justice Department to investigate Paxton's office.
"We didn’t break any laws," said LULAC State Director Gabrial Rosales. "All we did was go out there to increase the participation of the Latino community. That's the only thing that we're doing."
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In a statement, the AG's office says it was a two-year investigation into voter fraud and vote harvesting executed by multiple search warrants. It says no further comment will be given on the still-active case.
LULAC says the homes searched with items seized in some cases involved a candidate running for office in South Texas and others who worked or volunteered for the campaign.
The group is critical of Paxton.
"Using his office to come in and terrorize our community, terrorize grandmothers, terrorize little old ladies who are doing nothing, nothing but trying to help our community get to the polls," Rosales said.
SMU political science professor Cal Jillson says the Texas Legislature has made changes to the state’s election laws.
"It's entirely possible that there are some aspects of elections in South Texas that have violated these new laws, but it's also possible that the attorney general's office is in pursuit of the idea of election integrity being under threat in Texas and them being vigilant against it," he said. "So until we hear more details about what exactly is happening here, it's hard to know on the merits who's right and who's wrong."
LULAC vows to keep pushing to turn out the Latino vote.
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"That pathway to justice and equality for our community is at the ballot box," Rosales said. "So if they think that they're going to stop our community from coming out, they've got another thing coming."
LULAC says the next step is to formally ask the feds to get involved.
The AG's office says it investigates when requested by county or district attorneys, adding: "We are fully committed to protecting the security of the ballot box and the integrity of every legal vote."