HOUSTON – The Republican Party of Texas is suing an attorney it claims it paid to help challenge the results of the 2022 elections in Harris County.
The suit claims attorney Elizabeth Alvarez misrepresented her ability to prove voter suppression. An online bio for Alvarez reads she is the Chief of Election Litigation & Civil Litigation Division for the law firm of Guest & Gray in Forney, Texas.
The lawsuit reads Alvarez claimed “the firm had prepared a reliable “data model” with the assistance of a data “expert” which is showing that more than 40,000 voters were suppressed.” (The inclusion of quotes around “data model” and “expert” were added by attorneys representing the RPT, not KPRC 2)
The lawsuit further reads, “that “data model” complied with U.S. Department of Justice guidelines for voter suppression.” Court documents reads Alvarez represented 17 former Republican candidates in the 2022 election. “Alvarez’s representations induced Republican candidates to file legal challenges and RPT to fund the litigation,” the lawsuit reads.
Alvarez, and another attorney, Scott Gray, are now accused of not having the data to back up claims of voter suppression.
“The data model” Defendants sold Plaintiff and the seventeen former Republican candidates never existed, and Defendants were not able to put forth even a scintilla of evidence in responding to a no-evidence motion for summary judgment,” the RPT claims in its lawsuit.
The lawsuit further claims the attorneys exceeded the agreed-upon budget.
Officials with the RPT declined to comment on the lawsuit, which is seeking between $250,000 and $1 million in damages.
“You know, our democracy, our republic, depends on the confidence and the trust of every American who participates and votes. If these these kind of things keep going, I fear for our country’s future,” said State Rep. Gene Wu/(D) Dist. 137.
“I think this is a warning that you can’t do election lawsuits based on vaporware. You better have them based on real events, real fraud, real election irregularities, and real issues that can be documented. That’s the real lesson here,” said State Sen. Paul Bettencourt/(R) Dist. 7.
Alvarez responded to KPRC 2′s request for comment and denied the allegations raised in the lawsuit. She also argues the RPT can’t bring this lawsuit.
“The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are not now, nor have they ever been, our clients. This lawsuit is just another in a long series of actions taken by the Republican Party of Texas to insert itself in the relationship between us and our clients. Our clients are happy with our representation, and this is just a reaction to our unwillingness to override our client’s best interests to create media opportunities for an institution that is being cut off from all reasonable donor bases because of its actions,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez also addressed the claims of a non-existent data model.
Alvarez said the 40,000 number was explained to her clients as being an estimate based on polling locations with reported problems and a benchmark for whether a case was tenable. She said it was explained that her firm would take the same approach the US Dept of Justice does in trying to determine a more definitive amount of voter suppression.
“We said if you lost your elections by more than 40,000, then we can’t take your case,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez also said she and her co-counsel made a considerable effort to provide evidence to support their cases. She points to a Nov. 9, 2023 ruling by Judge David Peeples that reads, “While there were documented problems at many polling locations, it was not proven those problems materially affected the outcome of the elections.”
“The judge’s ruling acknowledges the extensive work we did in uncovering the lack of supplies at these polling locations,” Alvarez said.
The lawsuit was filed in Mitchell County.
The lawsuit reads, “A substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claims occurred in Mitchell County, Texas - the home of John Beckmeyer, the former Executive Director of RPT.”