Tarrant Co. Republican leaders defend Elections Integrity Unit despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud

Tarrant Co. GOP leaders defend Elections Integrity Unit despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud

A state commissioned audit of the 2020 election found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Tarrant County and praised it as a quality, transparent election.

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - For the first time since the announcement of an Elections Integrity Unit, backed by the top three Tarrant County Republicans, the subject took center stage in Tuesday's Commissioner's Court meeting.

The leaders answered questions about what their plans are and what sort of oversight the unit might have.

"No one is declaring anything was wrong with Tarrant County elections, but what we were doing was trying to get to the place where we have a system to centralize these things," said Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn.

"I fully support the creation of this. I supported it by showing up to the press conference, by lending my name to it," said Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare.

O'Hare, Sheriff Bill Waybourn and District Attorney Phil Sorrells announced the unit in early February with investigators and a special prosecutor devoted to addressing complaints of fraud and impropriety in various forms within the county's election process.

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They hope it will improve confidence in elections, despite the fact that a recent audit praised elections in the Republican-majority county.

"You believe this is a widespread enough problem that you need the DA, the county judge to devote two investigators, two from your office, two from the DA's office and a prosecutor?" asked Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, a Democrat.

"That’s not their full-time job, just part of their caseload," replied Sheriff Waybourn.

Critics say the Elections Integrity Unit amounts to political grandstanding after a state commissioned audit of the 2020 election found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Tarrant County and praised it as a quality, transparent election.

Commissioner Roy Brooks believes the matter has everything to do with O'Hare, Waybourn and Sorrells supporting theories that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from then-president Donald Trump.

"I am concerned that we are enshrining in our Tarrant County infrastructure the ability to deny the results of any election that the three of you take exception to. That’s a problem for me," said Brooks.

"Commissioner, this has nothing to do with canvassing an election and saying this election is good," responded Sheriff Waybourn.

"Are you processing four cases? 60 cases?" asked Simmons.

"Right at the moment we are looking into 11 different cases," said Waybourn.

During the public comment section of the meeting more than 50 people spoke.

Most supported the creation of the unit.