Texas Woman Who Bragged About Ballot Harvesting Arrested for Fraud

Texas Woman Who Bragged About Ballot Harvesting Arrested for Fraud
Rachel Rodriguez is arrested in an undated photograph released Jan. 13, 2021. (Texas Attorney General's Office)
Zachary Stieber
1/13/2021
Updated:
3/3/2021

A Texas woman who bragged about being able to deliver thousands of votes for tens of thousands in cash was arrested this week on charges including election fraud and illegal voting.

Raquel Rodriguez was filmed during an undercover project by Project Veritas, a nonprofit journalism watchdog group. She said on video footage released last year that she could deliver “at least 5,000” votes “county-wide” for $55,000 in cash and that would hire her “entire team.” She acknowledged what she was discussing could land her prison time.

Based on the footage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, opened an investigation. That probe led to the arrest, Paxton announced on Jan. 13.

“Many continue to claim that there’s no such thing as election fraud. We’ve always known that such a claim is false and misleading, and today we have additional hard evidence. This is a victory for election integrity and a strong signal that anyone who attempts to defraud the people of Texas, deprive them of their vote, or undermine the integrity of elections will be brought to justice,” Paxton said in a statement.

“The shocking and blatantly illegal action documented by Project Veritas demonstrates a form of election fraud my office continually investigates and prosecutes. I am fiercely committed to ensuring the voting process is secure and fair throughout the state, and my office is prepared to assist any Texas county in combating this insidious, un-American form of fraud.”

The Election Fraud Division of Paxton’s office reviewed dozens of hours of footage before making the arrest.

Rodriguez was charged with four felonies: election fraud, illegal voting, unlawfully assisting people voting by mail, and unlawfully possessing an official ballot.

She could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Republican congressional candidate Mauro Garza, who hired Rodriguez, told The Epoch Times last year that he didn’t endorse or support any wrongdoing.

“The volunteer in the investigative video no longer serves on my campaign. I hope that this story encourages the news media and legal authorities to investigate all evidence of voter fraud and suppression as it has been a rampant problem for decades in South Texas,” he said via email.

Renee Yanta, another Republican candidate who Rodriguez said hired her, didn’t return an inquiry, nor did Lis Campos, a Democrat.

Petr Svab contributed to this report.
Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at [email protected]
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