According to multiple Houston-area media sources including the Houston Chronicle, Fox 26 and Click2Houston, former Fort Bend County staffer Taral Patel has accepted a plea deal in which he pled guilty to two misdemeanors, resulting in 24 months of probation. The charges relate to Patel’s alleged creation of fake online accounts, impersonation of officials, and posting racist comments about himself to gain voter sympathy during the 2024 election when he ran against incumbent Andy Meyers for county commissioner.

The plea deal, posted on Click2Houston’s website, states in part: “…I confess that I committed the offense along with Kyle Prasad George as alleged in the State’s indictments…and that each element of the State’s pleadings are true.”

In an April 16 press release, Jared Woodfill, Judge George’s attorney, criticized Fort Bend County District Attorney, Brian Middleton. “Middleton knows there is no evidence that Judge George engaged in any illegal activity in violation of the Texas Election Code or any other statute,” the press release said. “That is why he broke the law and bypassed the Texas Ethics Commission prior to indicting Judge George for an alleged campaign violation. Interestingly, DA Middleton has been found to have violated the Texas Election Code and sanctioned for his conduct. However, he did not prosecute himself. Mr. Patel’s plea agreement, which is a mere slap on the wrist, appears to be the DA’s effort to further manufacture a case against Judge George, cutting backroom deals in exchange for testimony.”

“Attorney Brian Middleton is using Mr. Patel as a pawn in an effort to take out his political opponent, Judge George,” the statement continues. “Judge George has never even been found liable by Texas Ethics Commission, the body responsible for investigating alleged violations of the Texas Election Code. This case is about DA Middleton capturing the news headline in an effort to influence an election in his favor.”