Fort Bend County Judge KP George was indicted as part of a criminal investigation into alleged election schemes, records show

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Fort Bend County Judge KP George was sent to jail Thursday night, hours after he was arraigned on charges related to an alleged election scheme that included racist social media posts.

George was later released on a personal recognizance bond, according to a statement from his office in which he maintained his innocence and vowed not to resign.

ABC13 learned of the charges Thursday afternoon. It accuses George of using a fake Facebook account under the name “Antonio Scalywag” with the “intent of hurting a candidate or influencing the outcome of an election.”

The latest findings come after a lengthy search warrant last week uncovered incriminating text messages between George and Taral Patel, the candidate for District 3 commissioner.

READ MORE: New arrest warrant suggests Fort Bend County Judge KP George knew about employee’s alleged misconduct

George claimed he was the target of racist social media posts that investigators believe he knew his then-chief of staff Patel had created to work in his favor. The search warrant alleges that the second-term Democrat was trying to bolster his 2022 re-election bid.

Patel has been charged with online identity fraud but remains a candidate for Fort Bend County District 3 commissioner.

Investigators believe Patel created fake Facebook accounts and then posted racist comments against George to garner sympathy. Some of those comments, which called George an “arrogant foreigner” and a “Muslim IT fraudster,” ended up in a collage that Patel posted on social media two months before the election.

According to the warrant, investigators found text messages from Patel to George that said, “I’m releasing the picture now.”

Immediately after the screenshot, a message came from Patel that read: “Let me know if you agree, I will share this post,” the warrant states.

The warrant also states that George then responded with the following request: “Also add, ‘This heinous act does not represent Fort Bend County, we are the most diverse and inclusive county, our diversity is our strength.'”

News of George’s indictment shocked Fort Bend County. Calls for his resignation grew louder with the charges, but George says he has no intention of doing so.

Democrat Patricia David, who ran for office in the district two years ago, campaigned alongside George. But now she is calling for his resignation.

“It’s a sad day in Fort Bend,” David said. “It is a sad day for the community. It is a sad day for the people who trusted him and believed in him. It’s a really, really sad day.”

Fort Bend County District 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, a Republican whom Patel is running against, said George should resign if he is guilty.

“It’s never a good day for someone to be charged with something like this,” Meyers said. “I don’t think it’s beneficial to anyone.”

Republican Deputy County Commissioner Vincent Morales said on social media that he also believes George should resign.

“I hereby call on District Judge KP George to resign from office and allow our commissioner court to peacefully continue serving and protecting our citizens,” Morales posted on social media.

Democratic County Commissioner Dexter McCoy didn’t go so far as to call on George to resign, but he expressed some concerns about the charges.

“I share my fellow community members’ concerns about these allegations and their impact on public trust and our ability to conduct the people’s business. Holding positions of public trust requires us to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and today’s grand jury indictment shows a clear violation of that standard,” McCoy said in a statement to ABC13.

Republican Jacey Jetton, who represents Fort Bend County, has also joined the calls for his resignation.

“If he remains in office despite everything that has happened, despite this indictment and eventual conviction, it would be a great detriment to this county,” Jetton said.

Some Fort Bend County residents Eyewitness News spoke with were unaware of the criminal charges against George.

Those with knowledge of the allegations joined elected leaders in calling for his resignation.

“He really needs to give up,” Frank Alderete said.

“He probably has to resign, yes. I would say resign,” Tiffiny Carter said.

“Lying to gain publicity or to win votes is not something I stand for and I feel like he just needs to do the right thing and resign,” Amanda Carranza said.

ABC13 reached out to George’s communications staff after the indictment was released but did not receive a response until around 9 p.m

They sent Eyewitness News the following statement:

“While I am disappointed by the charges against me, I am confident that justice will prevail when all the facts are presented. In this country you are innocent until proven guilty and I fully intend to prove my innocence in court. This.” That evening, I volunteered to the agency holding the arrest warrant and was released on a public relations bond, demonstrating my commitment to fully cooperating with the legal process. “I have no intention of resigning. My office and staff will continue to work tirelessly for the residents of Fort Bend County and ensure the County’s business moves forward without interruption for me from the voters.”