Zapata County officials and relatives face voter-fraud probe after affidavits allege vote harvesting
A Texas judge, his family and campaign staff were served with search warrants as the state investigates alleged vote-harvesting and bribery in recent Zapata County elections.
The Texas Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit has launched a criminal investigation into Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell, his family members and campaign staff over alleged vote-harvesting and bribery. Unsealed affidavits detail a scheme in which campaign workers were paid to transport voters, compensate them for community-service fines, and guide them to vote for the judge, with communications recorded via texts and phone calls.
Search warrants were carried out in July at the residences of the judge, his wife Gina Rathmell, Sheriff Ramon Montes and his wife Sonia Sanchez, as well as several campaign aides, resulting in seizure of phones and bank records. Prior candidates, including Martha Morales, Raymundo Del Bosque and Carmen Mena-Paredes, have previously sued over similar claims and now urge the AG and Secretary of State to examine all recent county races.
The accused parties have either refused comment or issued brief statements denying wrongdoing, emphasizing the allegations are not charges. Investigators cite video surveillance, witness statements and financial documents to support the accusations.
