RICHMOND, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Republican Trever Nehls says Fort Bend County Judge KP George should resign immediately if it’s determined that he was aware Taral Patel was posting phony racist messages on the judge’s Facebook page during the 2022 campaign, in which Nehls lost in a close race, 52 to 48 percent.
Nehls' statement is in reaction to the indictment of Patel on Sept. 3, 2024. The Fort Bend Democrat was indicted for allegedly posting fake racist messages on George’s Facebook page to create a false public perception that George was under attack from racists who supported Nehls.
“What will be interesting is if County Judge KP George had knowledge of Mr. Patel’s actions, and if so, he should resign immediately,” Nehls said.
On Sept. 3, a Fort Bend County grand jury handed up four misdemeanor indictments and four felony indictments against Patel in connection with the alleged scheme to sway the 2022 election involving George and Nehls, as well as the current 2024 race, in which Patel is running against incumbent Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers. There are three misdemeanor indictments are for Misrepresentation of Identity, and one for Online Impersonation, and four felony indictments for Online Impersonation.
The misdemeanor indictment states that Patel’s actions were intended to “injure a candidate or influence the results of an election.”
“The egregious actions of Mr. Patel further demonstrate the divisiveness and unethical behavior that exists in politics today,” Nehls said. “For the past several decades, the Democratic Party has preached that Republicans are racist and homophobic, yet today, the truth and reality is it is the Democratic Party,” Nehls said.
“The American people, more specifically the residents of Fort Bend County, now completely understand Democrats will cheat and spread lies at the expense of others,” he added.
Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office
Taral Patel and one of his six laptop computers seized and searched by the Texas Rangers.
In a statement, George told Houston Public Media that he understands the seriousness of the allegations against Patel.
"I acknowledge the seriousness of the allegations against Taral Patel and understand the concerns they have raised," he said. "I seek to fully understand the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident.
"It is important that the fundamental principles of our justice system are upheld through a fair and impartial process. We must allow the legal proceedings to unfold, guided by facts and evidence, while respecting the rights of all parties involved.”
The Identities Patel Allegedly Stole
Patrick Rosenberg, Patrick Ernest, Fort Bend District Court Judge Surendran Pattel, and Gregg White had their identities stolen as part of the scheme.
How Investigators Built a Strong Case
Over the course of several months, investigators used extensive digital forensics to examine Patel’s computers, storage devices, online accounts, and other items. They also subpoenaed high-tech companies like Facebook and Google and matched phone numbers, credit card records, and emails to various accounts controlled by Patel, some of which were email addresses for the KP George campaign.
What Did KP George Know?
During the campaign, KP George used the racist posts to bolster his campaign against Nehls.
“The last few weeks, we’ve received more than a hundred hate conversations from various people,” George said during the campaign.
At this point, it is unclear if KP George knew the posts on his Facebook page were phony.
Nehls says he is not currently planning to take legal action against Patel but will re-examine that decision if the investigation determines George knew about the scheme.
Read all Patel Warrants and Indictments
The owner of Covering Katy News is also employed by the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner's Office.