A rising Democratic candidate has found himself in even more trouble just months after an arrest.
Taral Patel was originally taken into custody by Texas Rangers after the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 commissioner candidate allegedly impersonated a county resident under a fake name and used the profile to launch racist attacks against himself.
Patel is now charged with online impersonation and misrepresentation of identity. Following the initial arrest, a shocking discovery suggested Patel may soon face even more charges.
According to KTRK-TV, warrants claim the candidate also allegedly impersonated a judge and created a third fake online persona using a Pennsylvania realtor’s photo.
The investigation first took off in October 2023 when Andy Meyers, the incumbent commissioner of Precinct 3, requested an official investigation by the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office into hateful posts made online about Patel.
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At the time, Patel compiled the posts and issued the collage in a news release to allegedly to garner support for himself. In one post to X, Patel posted a smattering of screenshots to prove the “barrage of racist attacks” against him were real.
WARNING: The following post contains language that may offend some readers.Â
Since announcing for Commissioner, I have worked tirelessly to connect with the diverse communities that call our County home.
Our campaign is based on the values of: compassion, hard work, and respect for all.
Unfortunately, we are facing a barrage of racist attacks pic.twitter.com/QOEXM1uYB8
â Taral V. Patel (@TaralVPatel) September 18, 2023
Should Taral Patel bow out of this race?
Investigators said a subpoena to Google and Facebook is unraveling Patel’s web, revealing an account named “Antonio Scalywag” that officials linked back to the Democratic candidate.
A photo of a local resident was used as a profile picture for “Antonio Scalywag.”
The Scalywag account was one of those behind the hateful posts directed at Patel.
Patel’s initial June arrest stemmed from the investigation into this Facebook account, and the situation only grew worse for him from there.
Following the subpoenas, authorities said, they also linked Patel with the email address “theonlydangerdog@gmail.com,” which was used to open an account for “Jane Donnie.”
The Donnie account used a Pennsylvania realtor’s photo. The realtor told KTRK-TV that he had nothing to do with the account.
Investigators said Patel didn’t just create fake personas, but actively impersonated a judge.
An account for district court Judge Surendran Pattel was linked back to Patel through the registration email, “taral@movetexas.org,” according to Houston Landing. Judge Pattel denied the account was his, adding that he also never authorized anyone to make an account for him.
The information linking Patel to the judge’s fake profile was discovered on his phone.
Patel’s party will not be riding to his aid in the light of recent discoveries, it seems.
Despite Patel’s victory in the March Democratic primary, a sitting politician is now urging the party to hold fast against the rising candidate.
“This is about the future of our community, and we cannot stand idly by and act and give our consent for this sort of behavior with our silence,” Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy told Houston Landing.
“Do we rally behind an individual facing credible allegations of undermining trust in our democracy just because they’re on our team?
“Or do we remain steadfast in our principles and show our communities and the nation that we truly believe everyone must be held accountable for their actions, regardless of party affiliation?”
