Harris County Employee Charged with Theft

An investigation by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and the Texas Rangers found no evidence of intent to influence the 2022 election results in Texas' largest county, despite significant issues at polling places. The investigation focused on Darryl Blackburn, an elections employee who is charged with improperly claiming hours on his timesheets while also working a second job, which contributed to polling locations running out of paper ballots. Blackburn faces six charges, including theft by a public servant, which could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years. While no election-related crimes were found, Ogg emphasized that Blackburn's actions affected voters' ability to cast ballots. Blackburn's attorney argues that the charges are politically motivated, stating that the case is about timesheet fraud rather than election tampering. The findings come amidst criticism from Republican officials regarding the management of the election and subsequent legislative actions to dissolve the county’s elections administration office.