In a legal showdown that adds a dramatic twist to Texas politics, the Texas GOP has launched a lawsuit against prominent election attorney Elizabeth Alvarez. The party alleges that Alvarez, a key figure in crafting the state’s recent election reform law, tricked its members and 17 election candidates into believing that the 2022 general election in Harris County was rigged against Republicans.
According to the lawsuit filed in Mitchell County, Alvarez is accused of fabricating the existence of a “data model” that supposedly proved a deliberate shortage of paper ballots targeting GOP voters. However, the lawsuit contends that such a model never existed. Despite the dismissal of most election challenges based on this false premise, Alvarez went on to contribute to the drafting of the controversial Texas election reform law.
As reported by The Houston Chronicle, the legal complaint asserts that Alvarez duped 17 candidates by falsely claiming her firm possessed a data model showing voter suppression of over 40,000 individuals. The Texas GOP is seeking to recover $350,000 in legal fees and up to $1 million in damages, alleging that Alvarez took advantage of the party and its donors.
Alvarez, along with her co-counsel Scott Gray, vehemently denies the allegations. They argue that the suit is “full of nonsense” and that their clients were satisfied with their representation. Notably, they emphasize that the candidates were their clients, not the party, challenging the GOP’s standing to sue over their representation.
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The legal clash comes on the heels of Alvarez’s pivotal role in crafting the 2021 election reform law, which outlawed 24-hour and drive-thru voting and prompted Democratic lawmakers to flee the state in protest.
As the legal battle unfolds, the Texas GOP remains tight-lipped on the ongoing litigation, while Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee says the lawsuit is an admission that the initial suits were frivolous.
