Texas House candidate in Collin County charged with impersonating public servant

Sign up for The Brief, our every day publication that retains readers in control on essentially the most important Texas news.

A Texas House candidate and police officer backed by former President Donald Trump and high Texas Republicans has been indicted on a cost of impersonating a public servant, based on authorities.

Dallas police mentioned Friday that Frederick Frazier was positioned on administrative depart after the division was notified {that a} Collin County grand jury indicted him. Impersonating a public servant is a third-degree felony.

Frazier turned himself in to the Richardson jail Friday and posted bond, mentioned Teddy Yoshida, a spokesperson for the Richardson Police Department.

It is unclear what the precise allegations towards Frazier are, and a spokesperson for the Collin County district lawyer’s workplace was not instantly out there for remark.

Responding to the indictment, Frazier’s marketing campaign blamed his Republican major runoff opponent, Paul Chabot, who had advised Frazier posed as a metropolis code compliance officer to get Chabot’s marketing campaign indicators taken down at a Walmart. In an announcement, Frazier’s marketing campaign mentioned Chabot, who has run for workplace a number of instances earlier than, is “trying to overturn the results of that election by bringing up trumped complaints to law enforcement and testifying before a grand jury.”

“Frederick Frazier is looking forward to having the opportunity to defend himself in court, where we are confident jurors will see through Chabot’s lies in the same way that voters have five times before,” the assertion mentioned.

John Thomas, Chabot’s advisor, issued an announcement on Frazier’s indictment:

“An independent grand jury was empaneled and determined that Mr. Frazier committed multiple felonies. In fact, it was the Rangers and the McKinney PD who uncovered the felonies. Frazier’s lying and deceit knows no limits. He committed crimes and refuses to fess up. He is a disgrace to himself and to those who dawn a badge in law enforcement. Paul Chabot demands Frazier have one shred of decency and immediately drop out of the race as it’s crucial that both a Republican and candidate with integrity represent the people of the 61st district.”

Frazier simply received the Republican major runoff final month for House District 61, an open seat in Collin County that leans Republican. A widely known advocate for legislation enforcement in Austin, Frazier had the backing of Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state House Speaker Dade Phelan. The Democratic nominee in the race is Sheena King.

During the runoff, Chabot spoke out concerning the alleged theft of dozens of his marketing campaign indicators. In one incident, Chabot mentioned a Walmart retailer supervisor advised him somebody claiming to work for metropolis code compliance got here in and advised the shop to take down Chabot’s indicators as a result of they have been illegally positioned. Chabot mentioned he reported that to the police.

The Texas Rangers in the end appeared into his claims. Chabot later obtained a report from the Rangers via a public data request that mentioned the company investigated Frazier in February for “alleged criminal violations … of Impersonating a Public Servant and potentially related Theft.”

At the time, Frazier’s marketing campaign advisor, Craig Murphy, mentioned his candidate denied any wrongdoing and referred to as Chabot’s claims “frivolous.”

Texas Scorecard and Steven Monacelli, a contract journalist who extensively covered the marketing campaign signal controversy for Rolling Stone, have been among the many first to report Friday that Frazier had been indicted.

Join us Sept. 22-24 in particular person in downtown Austin for The Texas Tribune Festival and expertise 100+ dialog occasions that includes large names and others you must from the worlds of politics, public coverage, the media and tech — all curated by The Texas Tribune’s award-winning journalists. Buy tickets.