On Wednesday, Texas Democratic staffer Manuel Medina’s home was raided as part of an ongoing state election fraud investigation led by Attorney General Ken Paxton. During the early morning raid, law enforcement officers and agents from the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) discovered a significant number of phones and digital devices.
According to a court document, “During the early morning hours of August 20, 2024, law enforcement officers and agents of the Texas Attorney General forcibly entered the Medina family residence, awakening the occupants.” The document also noted that the search warrant had been issued the day before.
The raid lasted seven hours, during which authorities seized “numerous papers, documents, family and other photographs, as well as 65 cell phones and approximately 41 computers, digital, and other storage devices.”
Medina, who serves as chief of staff for state Rep. Liz Campos (D-San Antonio) and is described as a “well-known Bexar County political operative,” also managed Cecilia Castellano’s recent Democratic primary campaign for House District 80. Castellano informed the Houston Chronicle that agents also executed a search warrant at her home on Tuesday morning, seizing her cell phones.
Attorney General Paxton emphasized the importance of secure elections, stating, “Secure elections are the cornerstone of our republic. We were glad to assist when the District Attorney referred this case to my office for investigation. We are completely committed to protecting the security of the ballot box and the integrity of every legal vote. This means ensuring accountability for anyone committing election crimes.”
The investigation into Medina stems from a 2022 referral by 81st District Attorney Audrey Louis and has been conducted by the OAG’s Election Integrity Unit since then.
While no charges have been filed against Medina, he is currently under investigation for his alleged involvement in a ballot-harvesting scheme. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Texas OAG’s actions, arguing that the raids are intended to intimidate Democratic operatives.
Gabriel Rosales, Texas LULAC’s state director, condemned the raids, stating that Paxton’s actions are aimed “to suppress the Latino vote through intimidation and any means necessary to tilt the electoral process in favor of his political allies.”