A political consultant was convicted Friday for a failed scheme intended to affect the outcome of the race for Texas House of Representatives District 132 during the 2020 election cycle, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

Dutton got the highest number of votes during the Democratic primary in March, but not enough to avoid a runoff with the second- and third-place finishers. Prosecutors said Friday that an investigation revealed that the third-place candidate, Natasha Ruiz, was actually Natasha Demming, who filed under a false name. Prosecutors accused Demming of conspiring with Richard Bonton, who was another candidate in the District 142 race, to manipulate the vote. RELATED: 8 months after ‘ghost candidate’ review launched, State Rep. Harold Dutton hoping for justiceBoth Demming and Bonton have been charged with felonies related to tampering with a governmental record. “When somebody steals votes from people, that is about the highest crime you can commit, as far as I’m concerned,” Dutton said.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Friday that three people had been indicted over attempts to influence two Texas House races during the 2020 election cycle. Credit: Kelly West for The Texas TribuneA Harris County grand jury has indicted three people who tried to illegally influence races in two Houston-area state House districts during the 2020 election cycle, District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Friday. The impacted districts were House District 132 and House District 142, which are currently represented by state Reps. Gina Calanni, D-Katy, and Harold Dutton, D-Houston, respectively. Calanni reported the threat to the Texas Rangers, which investigated the complaint with the Harris County District Attorney's Office Public Corruption Division. Nearly the entire Harris County Democratic legislative delegation weighed in soon after, asking the county attorney and district attorney to open a criminal investigation.

Former candidate Richard BontonKPRC 2 Investigates has learned that former candidate for state representative, Richard Bonton, has been indicted by a Harris County Grand Jury on multiple charges including election fraud. According to the indictment obtained by KPRC 2 Investigates, Bonton is charged with conspiracy to commit tampering with a government record, tampering with a governmental record and election fraud. While the murder rate in Harris County skyrockets, Kim Ogg chose to use taxpayer funds to pursue a personal attack. What Kim Ogg did today is public corruption at its finest and we will work withFederal authorities to bring justice. Harris County deserves a top cop who is focused on justice, not political favors.