Harris County DA Kim Ogg has announced corruption charges have been filed related to the 2022 elections against a former county elections worker,.
"Defendant Darrell Blackburn, who worked in the now defunct elections administrator's office, has been charged with six felony charges, five of them, tampering with the document, one, theft by public official," Ogg said.
Blackburn was hired by the county in April of 2021, but took another full time job in October of that same year. Blackburn was "working from home" for the county and was in charge of allocations of equipment including ballot paper.
On Election Day two years ago, Blackburn reported working 18 hours for Harris County from his home, but was working at his other job in The Woodlands for eight hours. Several polling locations ran out of paper that day, causing long lines and frustration among voters.
“While chaos was ensuing at polling places all over Harris County, Darryl Blackburn was at work at his other job—the real job—and was not minding his post. [He] came back, but it was too late.”
Blackburn stole the "right to vote," said Ogg, who also blamed the two elections administrators the county had, Isabel Longoria and then Clifford Tatum.
"This cost residents a great deal," Ogg said.
The DA says this was not an attempt to to rig the election, but the motive was greed.
Blackburn turned himself in earlier on Tuesday. His bond was set at $65,000.
Reaction to the charges was swift, with Harris County GOP Chair Cindy Siegel pointing the blame at County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis.
“County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Democrat- controlled Commissioner Court ignored what was the worst run election in Harris County history. Ultimately, Lina Hidalgo, Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia are the ones responsible for what occurred in 2022 and should be held accountable.”
State Senator Paul Bettencourt reacted with a statement that said, "This affirms the public's worst fears about this group's lack of supervision from the previous Election Administrators, Isabel Longoria, and Clifford Tatum, and in my opinion these upper managers should be held accountable. The appointed Election Administrator, Clifford Tatum, is equally responsible, because he ignored requests for more paper ballots first thing in the morning on November 8, 2022. The County Attorney and Commissioners' Court should be ashamed of funding the defense of this corrupt county department."
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, whose office now runs the elections also released a statement that said, "The activities that occurred during the November 2022 elections in the now-defunct Elections Administrator’s Office do not reflect the integrity or operations of the Harris County Clerk’s Office. Since September 1, 2023, when the legislature returned the conduct of elections to the Harris County Clerk’s Office, we have conducted six successful, legal, and transparent elections in nine months. With the support of the Secretary of State, the County Attorney’s Office, the Democratic and Republican parties, and all stakeholders, we are committed to continuing to afford all citizens of the county fair and accessible elections."
Ogg will join Jimmy Barrett and Shara Fryer on Houston's Morning News at 7:20.