Fort Bend County Judge KP George was indicted by the Fort Bend Grand Jury on September 26 on a single misdemeanor charge of misrepresenting identity as a candidate in 2022, according to multiple print and broadcast new sources across the Houston area. According to Click2Houston, George was booked into jail that day and bond was set at $1000.00. He was later released. George is alleged to have conspired with former chief of staff Taral Patel in a social media hoax, which involved the set-up of fake profile accounts which posted racist attacks against George during his reelection campaign. In that election, George defeated challenger Trevor Nehls with 51 per cent of the vote.

The incident drew reactions from Fort Bend County officials, many of whom called for George to resign.

Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, whose seat is being challenged by Patel, said in an email to the Katy Times: “The recent revelations reported by the Houston media are deeply disturbing. If these allegations are accurate, I call on Judge KP George to immediately resign as County Judge and for Taral Patel to withdraw from the Commissioner’s race. Such divisive and criminal actions have no place in Fort Bend County, the most diverse county in the United States.”

Fort Bend County Treasurer Bill Rickert said in an email to the Katy Times: “As a resident of Fort Bend County and County Treasurer, I am deeply concerned about the ‘fake racism’ scandal and indictments of County Judge KP George and his former Chief of Staff, Taral Patel, who is running for Commissioner of Precinct 3. While everyone deserves a fair trial, the documented actions of these individuals have been deceptive and divisive, undermining the trust of our residents and damaging our county's global reputation. At a time when we need to attract commercial and industrial development to alleviate the property tax burden on our community, this scandal is hindering that progress.”

“Rather than providing transparency, both individuals have chosen to hire lawyers and remain silent, allowing the cloud of this controversy to linger over our county indefinitely,” Rickert said. “Our global reputation cannot be restored while KP George remains in office. I call for his immediate resignation and the reimbursement of taxpayer funds used for a security detail based on what we now know were fabricated allegations of racist threats.”

Via Facebook, Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales said: “I remain extremely concerned about the business of our county government through this disturbing turn of events. And as a county commissioner - I have many questions as to the circumstances of this indictment. Specifically, how this relates to the county judge’s practice of using public funds for a security detail. I am also seeking additional information from the State of Texas about how this impacts the county judge’s role as a sworn member of the judiciary, as well as the statutory authority of the county judge as the head of our county’s emergency management. The safety of our citizens is a foremost priority for all members of our commissioners court. For these reasons, for my duty to provide resources for the safety of my constituents, and for my own concerns as a Fort Bend County resident - I hereby call for County Judge KP

George to resign his office and to allow our commissioners court to peacefully continue the service and protection of our citizens.”