RICHMOND, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Fort Bend County Judge KP George has been indicted on two third-degree felony money laundering charges, the district attorney's office announced Thursday.
The indictments, made public today, are separate from a pending misdemeanor charge filed last year against George for alleged misrepresentation of identity as a candidate.
Also Read our story about the original indictment of KP George.
The indictments led to George being arrested again today, which came with another trip to the county jail and another mug shot.
The district attorney's office said the investigation initially focused on Taral Patel, George's former chief of staff who later became a Biden Administration staffer and campaign manager for George, but expanded to implicate the county judge himself. The felony charges have been assigned to the 458th District Court.
Also Read: See Taral Patel's Racist Post and How He Pitted One Voting Group Against Another
According to the indictments, George, a Democrat, allegedly engaged in financial activities involving proceeds from wire fraud totaling between $30,000 and $150,000 on or about April 22, 2019.
The district attorney's office did not provide specific details about the alleged money laundering activities but George provided insight in a statement he released later in the day.
"There is nothing illegal about loaning personal funds to my own campaign and later repaying that loan. This is a standard and lawful practice," George said. "As an elected official, I have always operated with integrity and transparency."
George characterized the charges as "a continued example of Fort Bend County District Attorney's office weaponizing the government with an obvious political witch hunt."
Despite the legal challenges, George stated he remains committed to serving the people of Fort Bend County even as his own Democratic Party has called for his resignation. Critics point to what they call inconsistent standards within the party, which never withdrew support from Patel after he faced nine indictments, including four felonies related to allegedly creating fabricated racist posts that caused fear among the county's immigrant community. The Democratic Party's call for George to step down follows a broadcast report suggesting George is considering switching political parties, reportedly feeling betrayed by fellow Democrats.
Also Read: Grand Jury Indicts Taral Patel for a 9th Time in Election Manipulation, Fake Racism Case.
The District Attorney's Office brushed off George's claims.
"Our office remains committed to the integrity our public deserves, and the ethics to which all prosecutors are sworn to," said Democratic District Attorney Brian Middleton's office in a statement. "Our investigation remains ongoing."
Punishment range is 2-10 years in prison for George. Bond was set at $10,000 for each of the two new charges.
The owner of Covering Katy News is employed by the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner's Office.