Voter fraud investigation continues

MENTONE — An investigation of claims of voter fraud in Loving County continued Monday.

Randy Reynolds, 143rd district attorney, said he plans to notify the Texas Attorney General’s office about the case, but he declined to say what the investigation has turned up.

"I just don’t discuss facts about pending criminal cases," Reynolds said.

Only 71 people live in Loving County, but 212 people are registered to vote there. After the November election, that discrepancy in numbers triggered an investigation into voter fraud by the Texas Rangers.

Reynolds initially said it appeared that people had filled out applications to become voters, falsely swearing they were residents of Loving County.

Reynolds said Texas Ranger Gerry Villalobos is investigating the possibility some of the registrations might have constituted perjury.

Villalobos was equally reluctant to talk about the investigation.

Asked if he had found anything illegal, Villalobos said he did not want to comment.

If voter fraud is proved, what effect it would have on the results of Loving County’s November’s election is still unknown.

J.W. "Buddy" Busby, a write-in candidate for Loving County’s Precinct 1 commissioner, was defeated 37-24 by incumbent Harlan Hopper.

Busby maintains that illegal votes were counted in the race and has filed suit against Hopper.

According to Busby’s petition, Hopper "moved in" and caused residents of Reeves, Ector, Ward, Winkler and other counties to illegally register to vote in the Loving County election.

The suit also maintains that Loving County voters may have switched precincts in order to change the outcome of the election.

After the suit was filed, County Clerk Beverly Hanson said the claims about illegal voting could be true. She said the number of new voters aroused her suspicions in early October.

"We went from 146 (voters) a year ago to 212 when the election was held," she said in a previous interview. "When you’ve got 75 or 80 people living in your county, you know when somebody doesn’t live here and they’re from out of town."

However, she said Hopper was raised in Loving County and didn’t "move in" from anywhere. Hanson, who is Hopper’s sister, added that Hopper has been Precinct 1 county commissioner since November 1991.