Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Office Raids Bexar County in Election Fraud Probe

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office recently executed search warrants in Bexar County, one of Texas’s largest urban areas and a Democratic stronghold, as part of a two-year investigation into alleged vote tampering. The county, home to San Antonio and the fourth most populous in the state, has become the focal point of Paxton’s broader campaign against election fraud. According to Paxton’s office, the investigation underscores the importance of secure elections, describing them as “the cornerstone of our republic,” according to The Hill.

The search warrants follow a broader initiative by Paxton’s office, which in 2023 alone spent $2.3 million prosecuting just four election fraud cases, highlighting the attorney general’s determination to pursue such offenses. “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,” Paxton stated, reiterating his commitment to the issue.

The investigation in Bexar County was reportedly referred by state District Attorney Audrey Louis, a conservative Republican. Although Louis’s jurisdiction includes nearby Frio and Atascosa counties, Bexar County falls outside her official domain. Louis made the referral in 2022 following a significant ruling by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) in 2021. The CCA ruled that Paxton could not unilaterally investigate election crimes without collaborating with a local district attorney, a decision that led Paxton to criticize the court for empowering “local DAs with radical liberal views” to control election fraud prosecutions.

Louis, who won her position by unseating Democratic incumbent René Peña in 2016, became involved in the case due to her district’s proximity to Bexar County. Despite this connection, the attorney general’s office has provided few details about the ongoing investigation, maintaining a level of secrecy around the probe.

Paxton’s aggressive pursuit of election fraud cases comes against the backdrop of tighter-than-expected national races in Texas, including both the presidential and congressional contests. Recent polling suggests that while former President Donald Trump, a close ally of Paxton, maintains a lead in Texas, the margin is narrowing, with Vice President Kamala Harris trailing by just 6.6 points in one survey. This tightening of the race mirrors the closely contested Senate race between Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R), which has similarly narrowed in recent months.

The raid in Bexar County also occurs in the aftermath of Paxton’s high-profile efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Paxton has been a vocal proponent of claims that the election was stolen from Trump, even filing a lawsuit against four battleground states in December 2020. The lawsuit, which was quickly dismissed by the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court, has led to ongoing disciplinary action by the Texas State Bar. The Bar accused Paxton of filing a “dishonest” suit, and despite his protests, a state appellate court ruled in April that the Bar could proceed with disciplining him.

Paxton’s actions continue to attract controversy as he appeals to the Texas Supreme Court to investigate the appellate court for what he describes as “politically motivated lawfare” against him. Paxton’s request for intervention underscores the broader political tensions surrounding election integrity and the role of the judiciary in Texas.