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Democratic leaders from Tarrant County want the Department of Justice to investigate the actions of Tarrant County Judge Tim OHare and the countys election integrity unit.

In a letter sent to the office of the U.S. Attorney General, US Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, asked Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke to conduct a federal investigation into the County Judges actions to protect minority voters in Tarrant County from harassment and discrimination.

Veasey, county commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roy Brooks and state Reps. Nicole Collier, Ramon Romero, Chris Turner, and Salman Bohjani all Democrats signed the letter, sent May 15. In it, they lay out concerns surrounding the creation of the task force and the subsequent resignation of election administrator Heider Garcia.

Four months after a trio of Republican leaders in Tarrant County OHare, Sheriff Bill Waybourn and District Attorney Phil Sorrells created an election integrity task force, the Democratic elected officials said they were worried that the task force and OHares conduct will frighten minority residents and keep them from exercising their right to vote.

As elected officials representing districts that are predominantly communities of color in Tarrant County, we are deeply concerned that recent actions by Tarrant County Judge Tim OHare and other county officials will further diminish the voting rights of those we represent and undermine their ability to freely and effectively participate in elections, the group wrote in its letter.

The Fort Worth Report reached out to OHare for comment but did not immediately get a response.

The letter also requests a written response outlining how the Department of Justice plans to end the pattern in Tarrant County of voter intimidation and harassment. The officials are concerned with the transparency in establishing the election integrity task force, and offered assistance to the DOJ to ensure voting rights are protected.

The letter was sent weeks after Garcia, Tarrant Countys election administrator, resigned from the county following a meeting with County Judge Tim OHare. In the letter, Garcia cited a conversation with OHare before his departure.

The letter sent by Veasey and others to the Department of Justice also mentions harassment and intimidation directed toward Garcia by local groups, including a group called Citizens for Election Integrity and the True Texas Project. OHare has previously spoken at True Texas Project events, including an April meeting where he said low voter turnout in local elections would help Republican candidates.

County Judge OHare has consistently challenged Mr. Garcias efforts to uphold the integrity and racial fairness of our elections, the letter reads. Statements made leading up to the 2020 elections and the actions taken since then by the County Judge, the County District Attorney, and the County Sheriff appear to be designed to undermine and suppress minority voter participation in Tarrant County elections.

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates as the Report receives more information.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policyhere.

Rachel Behrndt is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her atrachel.behrndt@fortworthreport.orgor viaTwitter.

Emily Wolf is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at emily.wolf@fortworthreport.org or viaTwitter.

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Tarrant County Democrats ask feds to investigate OHares actions ... - Fort Worth Report