Charges lead to resignation request

MCALLEN, Texas — The top elected official in a south Texas county called for the local district attorney to resign Tuesday after he was indicted on federal racketeering charges.

District Attorney Armando Villalobos, who is accused of taking more than $100,000 in bribes and kickbacks, should step down and focus on defending himself against charges of extortion and honest services fraud, said Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos. The charges came after a years-long investigation. “The concern is obvious: to try to effectively and efficiently run and manage his office under a cloud of indictment,” said Cascos, the county’s top elected administrator. “It’s hard enough with the everyday challenges that that office encounters.”

Villalobos, who also is running for Congress in the Democratic primary, has denied the allegations and insisted the case would not affect his office. His attorney, Joel Androphy, reiterated Tuesday that Villalobos would not step down because he has done nothing wrong.