Fort Bend County Judge KP George has been indicted on misdemeanor charges related to faked racist messages on social media but could face felony charges over an alleged attempt to hide evidence.
A grand jury indicted George last Thursday in relation to a scheme in collaboration with Taral Patel, his former chief of staff and now Democratic candidate for county commissioner. Patel was indicted on four felony and four misdemeanor charges after investigators tied him to fake social media and email accounts used to make offensive posts and circulate falsified polls.
Earlier this month the Texas Rangers executed a search warrant for George’s Samsung cell phone and reported seeing him attempt to manipulate the device at the scene on September 17. Afterward, a special Texas Department of Public Safety officer found that there had been at least 15 unsuccessful passcode attempts — just short of the 20 attempts that would trigger an automatic factory reset.
Investigators with the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers traced multiple fake social media accounts to Patel that were used to make posts containing language offensive to the Indian-South Asian community. Both George and Patel have used the posts in campaign materials since 2022.
Although Patel left George’s office in 2021 to attend law school and work in Washington, D.C., he continued to work for the county as a consultant for the County Judge’s Office and for George’s campaign with compensation of more than $33,000.
While working as a consultant Patel had access to George’s social media accounts. He is alleged to have created the fake account that posted derogatory comments about George and his family while appearing to support Trever Nehls, the Republican candidate for county judge in 2022.
The investigators also found evidence that Patel and George exchanged text messages on the days the racist messages were shared as part of a collage on George’s campaign page. Patel texted, “Let me know if you approve, I’ll share this post.”
Records show that George responded to Patel and asked him to add, “[T]his heinous act doesn’t represent Fort Bend County, we are that most diverse and inclusive county, our diversity is our strength (you are welcome to rephrase it to fit the message).”
In the weeks that followed, George engaged in a media campaign to decry the racist posts that he publicly blamed on former President Donald Trump.
According to investigators, although evidence shows Patel created the posts, the text messages also appear to show that they were posted with George’s knowledge and permission. George may have known Patel was using fake social media accounts to benefit George’s re-election campaign in September 2022.
In another text exchange regarding the county’s burn ban in June 2022, Patel wrote, “They are just blowing up our social media. I will use fake account to counter them,” to which George responded, “[T]hank you.”
In addition to the social media accounts and racist posts, Patel allegedly sent numerous emails to political donors as “Paul Rosenstein” that shared fake polling data claiming that incumbent Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers (R-Pct. 3) could not win his re-election campaign. The emails did not name the entity conducting the poll but were widely circulated.
Following his indictment, George released a statement saying he was “disappointed by the charges.”
“In this country, you are innocent until proven guilty, and I fully intend to prove my innocence in court,” said George.
In a statement, Nehls called George’s indictment “deeply disturbing” and called for the county judge’s resignation.
“The fact that our current county judge allegedly conspired to spread fake racist posts, not only to smear my character but also to manipulate voters and distort the truth, is a stain on our community and our political process,” Nehls said.
George dismissed calls for his resignation from Nehls, Meyers, and other officials including Fort Bend County Commissioner Vincent Morales (R-Pct. 1) and said, “My focus remains on serving the people of Fort Bend County, as I was elected to do.”
“My office and staff will continue working tirelessly on behalf of our residents, ensuring that the County’s business moves forward without interruption. I look forward to clearing my name and continuing the important work entrusted to me by the voters,” said George.
Earlier this year, both Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan and Harris County Constable Jerry Garcia announced they would no longer support Patel in the 2024 general election. The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation recently rescinded their endorsement and issued a statement expressing opposition to his candidacy.
Fagan told KPRC News in Houston that Patel had taken selfies while accompanying Fagan on a criminal investigation. Another outlet, Covering Katy News, reported that Patel posted photographs from his ride-along with the sheriff on his Facebook campaign page that included a minor child.
A since-removed endorsement page from Patel’s campaign website included state Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) and Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia (D-Pct. 2).
Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton’s office launched an investigation into the racist messages in response to a request from Meyers last year.
“At the time I asked for the investigation I had no idea who was responsible,” Meyers said in a statement. “I was shocked when I learned the investigation led directly to my opponent Taral Patel.”
“Fort Bend County is the most diverse county in the United States—known for being safe, family-friendly, and business-friendly,” Meyers said. “However, the racist messages that investigators say were manufactured by my opponent, Taral Patel, with the alleged knowledge of Judge KP George, have sown fear within our community. Seeking to create division for personal gain is reprehensible. We must stand together against these tactics and reaffirm our commitment to unity and inclusivity.”
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