Campaign worker allegedly traded gift bags for ballot changes, say investigators

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Rachel Rodriguez had been arrested for her involvement in a voter fraud scheme. Rodriguez will face charges for illegal voting, fraud, unlawful assisting during the mail voting process, and unlawful possession of an official ballot, according to arrest warrants obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders.
Rodriguez was arrested on San Antonio’s East Side in January and later detained on the charges that had been filed in Kendall County.
Prior to the 2020 election, Rodriguez was caught on camera in a Project Veritas video harvesting votes.
A far-right activist group called Project Veritas uses undercover video and audio in its work. For allegedly employing misleading editing methods, the organization and its founder James O’Keefe have come under scrutiny.
According to the footage, Rodriguez reveals to an undercover reporter how she persuades voters to change their ballots in exchange for gift bags.
The footage shows Rodriguez meeting an older woman in October on a porch close to a West Side residence. Rodriguez met a woman who was older than 65, which could result in the charges against her being enhanced.
The arrest was made after the Election Fraud Division of the Office of the Attorney General examined numerous hours of raw, unedited video. Rodriguez said on camera that what she was doing was against the law and that she could be arrested for it. Rodriguez may spend as much as 20 years in jail if found guilty.
The warrants state that Rodriguez then takes the woman’s ballot, appears to strike out a vote for US Senator John Cornyn, and marks it for contender M.J. Hegar.
Despite having a mailbox nearby, according to the warrants, Rodriguez seals the ballot and carries it with her.
“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,” said Attorney General Paxton.
“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.”
According to records, the AG investigator obtained evidence for the criminal case in December, including the envelope containing the ballot.
The woman was one of the dozen voters in the area whom Rodriguez was assisting in voting.
The search warrant states that Rodriguez consented to take the undercover reporter along for the ride in exchange for $500.
Photo: Office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton