New recordings surface in Dallas County voter fraud scheme

DALLAS - FOX 4 has confirmed the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing a potentially damaging audio recording as part of its investigation of voter fraud.

The DA’s office is investigating complaints that voters received mail-in-ballots without requesting them. They received about two hours of secretly recorded conversations between a person who is active in District 6 politics and a man known as ‘Jose Rodriguez,’ a name prosecutors believe is fake. He is the man accused of being behind a massive voter fraud scheme.

According to court documents, prosecutors have 700 mail-in ballots that were requested by a person claiming to be Jose Rodriguez with a fake address. Many voters complained to prosecutors that they never wanted the ballots.

In one recording, Rodriguez said he was receiving help from a person inside the elections office. He said he was paying the person $100-200 to get information about when the mail-in ballots would go out to various sections of the city.

In the recording, Rodriguez says “I'm trying to stay out of the spotlight. The worst thing you can do is get in the spotlight when you're cheating the system."

Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole told FOX 4 that she’s heard about the allegation that someone in her office was helping in the alleged scheme.

“The DA is currently looking into those allegations,” she said. “There is nothing to certify or substantiate that allegation at this point."

Pippins-Poole says none of the office’s employees were on leave as part of the investigation.

In the recording, Rodriguez also talked about his work requesting absentee ballots in Grand Prairie. The DA’s office says they are thoroughly investigating everything.

Investigators don't know if their investigation will be complete before the District 6 runoff next month. But if anyone wants to contest a race and review the ballots that they are reviewing, they will be able to do so.