9 people plead not guilty in a Texas elections probe involving 'vote harvesting' [View all]
Source: AP
Updated 7:20 PM EDT, August 13, 2025
HOUSTON (AP) — Nine people, including a former mayor and city council member and the chief of staff to a state representative, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to felony charges brought forth in a rural Texas county by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton as part of a widening elections investigation that is being criticized by Latino rights activists as being politically driven.
The nine people appeared either in person or by Zoom during a court hearing in Pearsall, Texas, before state District Judge Sid Harle. All of the nine people, who were indicted in late June, have been charged with what is known in Texas as vote harvesting, a felony that often involves payment for collecting and dropping off other people’s absentee ballots.
In May, six other people, including Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, the top elected official in the county, were indicted as part of Paxton’s investigation. One of the individuals who pleaded not guilty on Wednesday was Juan Manuel Medina, who is the chief of staff for state Rep. Elizabeth Campos. Medina is also former chairman of the Democratic Party of Bexar County, where San Antonio is located.
Medina’s lawyer, Gerry Goldstein, declined to comment on Wednesday. “I’m going to do my talking in the courtroom,” Goldstein said. On Wednesday, Goldstein filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Medina, who is accused of providing compensation as a third party to two people for vote harvesting in February 2024.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/texas-vote-harvesting-fraud-charges-ba8c04636d56c99cc67a42a8bd04b708
This is how they do voter suppression and are targeting voter-engagement efforts.
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