A Texas woman who bragged about being a part of a ballot harvesting scheme has been charged with election fraud and illegal voting.
Raquel Rodriguez was filmed in October saying she could deliver at least 5,000 votes for $55,000 in cash in one Texas county as part of an undercover project by Project Veritas.
Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation of Rodriguez after seeing the footage and the arrest was announced by Paxton on Wednesday.
“Many continue to claim that there’s no such thing as election fraud,” Paxton said in a statement, The Epoch Times reported. “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 the illegal action that Project Veritas documented showed a form of election fraud that his office 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,” Paxton said in the statement.
Rodriguez was charged with election fraud, illegal voting, unlawfully assisting people voting by mail and unlawfully possessing an official ballot. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
In October, Rodriguez was filmed saying she could deliver thousands of votes and had done so in the past. She said she had influence with elected officials in the state because they owed her favors.
Rodriguez claimed to be a consultant for a Republican candidate but was caught on camera attempting to convince a voter to vote straight Democrat on a ballot.