Was this Abbott conference a crime?
Out of a sense of fairness (a new thing I’m road testing), I didn’t tell you this prior to primary day for fear it might unfairly hurt Gov. Greg Abbott’s chances of winning renomination over GOP foes Secede Kilgore and Barbara Krueger.
But now, with Abbott having captured 90 percent of the GOP vote, it can be told: Our governor has been accused of criminal activity at a local supermarket. Turns out I was an eyewitness to the alleged offense, which also involves state Rep. Paul Workman, R-Austin.
An official complaint has been filed by Candace Aylor of Austin, an unsuccessful candidate (fourth place, with 7.4 percent of the vote, in a five-candidate field) for the Democratic nomination to challenge Workman in November.
Her complaint was filed with Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos and names Abbott as the “respondent” and lists “unknown” in the space for his nickname. (For future reference, I’ve heard Abbott refer to himself as “Hell on Wheels.”)
Aylor’s allegation: “On the morning of Feb. 20, 2018, a voter contacted me to inform me that State Representative Paul Workman and Governor Greg Abbott were witnessed electioneering within 100 feet of the exterior door to a polling location. This was confirmed through photo and video captured by the voter, and then again later in the day by the many news crews on scene to capture a press conference being held by the candidates in which they made statements requesting votes. Campaign signs for Paul Workman were also noted to be displayed repeatedly and prominently within 100 feet of the exterior door.”
(FYI, I also captured it on video.)
Aylor says the two Republicans “committed the offense of ‘electioneering near a polling place.’”
First, I love the word “electioneering.” Let’s all try to use it more often. As in, “Hey, that Beto O’Rourke is electioneering his brains out.”
Second, the Texas election code says a person commits the offense of electioneering near a polling place if he or she electioneers “during the voting period and within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which a polling place is