Randall County GOP chair arrested, faces election fraud charge
A Randall County grand jury handed down the indictment June 25, alleging that Giles, in his official capacity as party chairman, falsely certified that his application and nominating petition were legally compliant when submitted to the Texas Secretary of State in December 2023. The certification allowed his name to appear on the April 2024 Republican primary ballot.
Giles won 51% of the vote in that primary, securing another term as chairman. He was first elected to the position in May 2023.
The charge is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, which can carry penalties of up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Giles was booked into the Randall County Jail on July 7. No bond was required for his release.
As of Tuesday, no court date had been set, and Giles was not available to comment on the charges.
This is a developing story; more information will be added as it becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Randall County Republican Party chairman Kelly Giles arrested
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It's not yet clear if Musk has filed any paperwork for his America Party, and an FEC spokesperson declined to comment on whether the agency has received any paperwork from Musk's team. Going the PAC route Faced with the long odds of gaining party certification, some election experts say that Musk, at least for the time being, could focus on House and Senate candidates through a super PAC. That's because ballot access for congressional races is governed by the states -- not the federal government -- so the America Party could still put its designated candidates on the ballot without the FEC's certification, as long as they pass state qualifications. And because super PACs are unconstrained by fundraising or spending limits, an America Party super PAC could be funded by unlimited donations from supporters including Musk himself, and could independently spend an unlimited amount of money in support of its candidates. 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Joining forces Additionally, Musk could enlist the help of existing third parties, like the Libertarian Party or the Green Party. However, third parties historically have had little success in gaining office in the United States. During the 2024 election, the centrist group No Labels led a third-party presidential movement but ended its efforts months before the Republican and Democratic national conventions, after failing to find their candidate before their self-imposed deadline. Longstanding Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver ran in the 2024 presidential race but received less than 0.5% of the total vote. Still, a possible collaboration could be in the works: Musk has been in touch with one-time Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who in recent days has spearheaded a third party centrist effort of his own, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News. 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