AUSTIN, Texas — A Latino voting rights group called for a federal investigation Monday after volunteers with the group alleged that Texas authorities searched their homes and seized their cellphones and computers as part of an investigation into allegations of voter fraud by the state’s Republican attorney general.
No charges have been filed against anyone in the San Antonio-area searches last week, which Attorney General Ken Paxton previously confirmed were conducted by his office after local prosecutors reported “allegations of election fraud and vote stuffing” to the office during the 2022 election.
Some volunteers whose homes were searched after agents spent two hours in the home and took items including an 80-year-old woman who told associates she had taken medication, her smartphone and a watch, spoke out against the search outside the attorney general’s office in San Antonio.
“We feel like our vote is being suppressed,” Roman Palomares, national president of the League of Latin American Citizens, said Monday. “We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
The investigation is part of an election integrity unit that Paxton created within his office. Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The Department of Justice declined to comment.
Palomares said the homes of at least six lawmakers were searched, including San Antonio political consultant Manuel Medina, whose home was searched for several hours and who he said agents seized documents, computers and cellphones. Medina is a former chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party and works on the campaign of Democratic state Assembly candidate Cecilia Castellano, whose home was also searched.
Nine officers also entered the home of volunteer Lydia Martinez, 80, who said she was confused about why the officers were there.
“They sat me down and started searching the house, the shed, the garage, the kitchen, everywhere,” Martinez said, adding that they also questioned other family members, including Medina.
The search warrant ordered authorities to search for any documents related to the election and seize Martinez’s equipment.
“I’m not doing anything illegal,” Martinez told investigators. “All I do is help seniors.”
Voter fraud is rare, usually occurs in isolated cases, and is usually detected. Associated Press investigation The latest count of the 2020 presidential election found fewer than 475 cases of suspected voter fraud among the 25.5 million votes cast in six states where President Trump and his allies fought his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
