Overview

• Six individuals, including Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, were indicted on felony charges of vote harvesting and evidence tampering following a multi-year investigation led by Attorney General Ken Paxton.
• The charges were brought under Texas Senate Bill 1, which criminalizes compensated ballot collection and imposes penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
• The accused include two Pearsall City Council members, a school board trustee, a former elections administrator, and a campaign worker, with allegations involving Cash App payments and targeting elderly voters for ballot collection.
• Latino rights activists, including LULAC, have criticized the investigation as politically motivated and an effort to suppress minority voter turnout in South Texas.
• The case follows August 2024 raids in South Texas and comes despite ongoing legal challenges to the constitutionality of Senate Bill 1, which Paxton has appealed to continue enforcement.