Indian American County Judge Charged With Money Laundering Amid Ongoing Legal Troubles
- Fort Bend (Texas) County Judge K.P. George was booked into the county jail on Friday with bail set at $20,000.
Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of money laundering, according to county jail records and the district attorney’s office. This latest development comes as the Democratic official already faces legal scrutiny for a separate case involving alleged fake racist attacks, Houston Public Media reports.
According to ABC News (KTRK), George was booked into the county jail around 3:30 p.m. Friday with bail set at $20,000. The money laundering charges are third-degree felonies involving amounts between $30,000 and $150,000, which could result in up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office stated that these new charges emerged from their ongoing investigation but are “unrelated to the pending misdemeanor” case against George. Court records indicate the money laundering charges are connected to alleged wire fraud and tampering with a campaign finance report, according to Houston Public Media.
In response to the allegations, George released a statement on Facebook defending his actions: “There is nothing illegal about loaning personal funds to my own campaign and later repaying that loan. This is a standard and lawful practice.” He characterized the charges as a “political witch hunt” and accused the district attorney’s office of “weaponizing the government” against him.
George was previously indicted in September on misdemeanor charges of misrepresentation of identity. In that case, prosecutors allege he worked with former staffer Taral Patel to create fake racist social media attacks against his own 2022 re-election campaign, which George then publicly condemned.
The new charges have prompted the Fort Bend County Democratic Party to call for George’s resignation. “It’s time for him to just do the right thing and just step down,” Party Chairman Fred Taylor told ABC News, citing concerns about George’s repeated attacks on the district attorney.
Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy also expressed concern, stating: “Today’s grand jury indictment demonstrates a clear breach of [the higher standard of public trust].”
George, who was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, had already postponed his State of the County address that was scheduled for May 8, his office announced Thursday.